blog roll

If you don't check out all of the awesome blogs in my blog roll to the right, you should take a gander.

And if you don't read Team Sullivan, by all means, check it out.

They are our neighbors (well not really, but in a town this size, we're all practically neighbors) and they are adopting from Ghana. It's a great time to pray for them!

Common Denominator

I never used to buy the saying that sometimes drama just follows certain people.

I, in my somewhat drama free life (ha), would laugh to myself and think isn't it obvious what the common denominator there is? If drama is always following you, isn't it safe to assume that maybe you are the cause?

I also used to believe that a child's behavior was a clear reflection of their parents. Ha.

But really. Not so long ago I would have looked at a person who was having work issues, family issues, church issues, health issues, friendship issues, did I mention work and family issues, etc, etc, etc. and seen a very obvious common denominator- them.

Until that person was me. Moi. I.

Ouch.

(I take back what I said about a child's behavior- it's been a really long time since I've thought that!)

But really. Sometimes life happens. Sometimes it is so easy to focus on myself as the common denominator. It's so easy to focus on me. Moi. I. And my own desires.

My focus has been pretty fuzzy lately. He has been directing me down a very different path than what I ever expected. It's not always easy. In some ways its better than anything I could have planned for myself. But sometimes it's hard. Really. Really. Hard.

And sometimes. Sometimes I have to switch over to manual focus and direct my focus back to the True Common Denominator.

the exclamation point

Sometimes I feel like an !!!EXCLAMATION!!!! POINT!!!!!!

And ALWAYS I overuse the !!!EXCLAMATION!!!! POINT!!!!!!

Have you noticed?!?!

____________________________________________________________

updated:

no, i don't think i can deal with my comma issues at this time.

reliance

Lately...

...I've been shoot and edit happy. Well maybe not 'edit happy.' But definitely shoot happy. And spending a lot of time editing because of it. :)

And I am loving it!

(However if you haven't heard from me in awhile, it may have something to do with the hours of editing and other work I'm doing! Who knew it was so time consuming?!)

Shooting makes me smile. Especially when it's with kids as cute and funny as these guys.

This was at the end of their session and we were hiding out under the shelter from the rain. I had them lay on their bellies and he says, "Oh yeah, like for REAL pictures?!" You'll have to check out the capturedbyheidiphoto.com blog for that picture. Hilarious. He does not look thrilled to be taking 'real' pictures at the end of the shoot. But look at those muddy legs and toes. Obviously we didn't spend too much time taking 'real' pictures. Hope their mom didn't mind having to clean them up afterwards.

But muddy toes and big laughs are definitely a part of this hobby that I'm loving.

SUMMER

Some stuff screams, "SUMMER!"

sidewalk chalk,

soaking up sun,

sun tea,

strawberries,

sittin' n' swingin',

smoothies!

Happy Summer!

Shameless Plug

Yup. I'm linking up to my 'other blog' today. I just cant help it. I had so much fun taking M's 'maternity' photos. She's a beautiful momma to be and made it really easy to get great shots. I am so excited about them that I wanted to share them here (in case you don't read that 'other blog').

So if you know any mommas to be that want maternity (not of the showing too much skin variety) pictures, send them my way. Pretty please! :)

In the meantime, go check out M's pictures. She's so pretty and going to be such a great momma!

The Rainbow

These pictures had been sitting on my desktop after (one of) last week's storm(s) waiting for an inspirational post to go with them.

I got nothin.

So just posting to share a picture of God's beauty and promise.

Feel free to leave your own inspirational thoughts in the comment section. :)

Giveaway at BP's Place!

Not here...

Go check out BP's giveaway.

She got me hooked on the Sophie Trace trilogy. And I was really anxious for the third one (this one) to come out. When it did, she graciously sent it in the mail to me. (I didn't even beg her to let me read it before she gave it away... well not too bad.) ;)

I finally finished it and now she's giving it away on her blog.

So go comment on her post to be entered to win!

Do You See What I See?

Notice anything different around here?

A new (SOOC) view point from the front porch.

LOVE.

Bible Study

I've been really bad at studying my Bible this summer (yes, I know you are probably thinking- but we are only a week into summer vacation... while I'm thinking... I can't believe a week of summer vacation is already over!!).

It's so easy to get out of routine when you don't have to hit snooze everyday. And so easy to let that Bible sit on the nightstand collecting dust until Sunday rolls around.

I'm not doing any formal Bible study this summer but I usually like to at least read some while I read my daily devotions. (Of course those daily devotions have already gotten dusty in this short week as well.)

So.

I was thinking.

I was really more disciplined when Mary & I blogged about our studies together. Maybe.... I could blog about my readings. That way, I thought, you could hold me accountable.

Of corse then I started thinking again...

and thought maybe you could join me in this.

So even though I'm not exactly sure what 'this' is yet, any joiners?

We could choose a book (maybe Ephesians?) to study and break it into sections to read by the week and write about it. Or choose different books and report back to each other. Or something completely different that one of you will come up with because you are all great like that. (Some of you English teachers should be really good at this 'book club' thing, right?)

So let me know if you are interested in joining me. Or if you could at least force me to stick to a schedule encourage me. :)

Thanks, friends!

Happy Birthday, Isaiah!

One of my favorite Cyclone fans is going to be SEVEN this week!

Happy Birthday to one of the sweetest boys I know! You have such a caring spirit and you bring so much laughter to the Hicks' house. Happy Birthday, buddy! We love ya!!

(I made a point to get a picture of each of the cousins this time. Yes- I had to use a (mental) checklist to make sure I got all of them.)

Get Real Wednesday v.4

I know I've missed some in here but SillyCyclone encouraged me to get back at it today. Check out her 'Get Real Wednesday' from today!

Here's mine (and it's a little funny because Mr. SillyCyclone was at this event just moments before I actually knew this was an event...).

My super awesome husband took me out on a lunch date yesterday. Afterwards, I followed him around Menards for way too long on my still super swollen, nasty ankle (which I guess could have been it's own 'Get Real Wednesday' post). By the time we were out of there and ready for the grocery store, my ankle was killing me so I decided to wait in the car at the grocery store. Enter Mr. Silly Cyclone. He was parked right in front of us. He and Littlest Silly Cyclone were picking up balloons for Big Sister Silly Cyclone's birthday party. Completely out of my character, I did not jump out of the car and flag them down to say hi. I did stare really obviously hoping they would look my way (they didn't) then I facebooked Mrs. Silly Cyclone from my phone to let her know there was a Mr. Silly Cyclone siting. I digress.

Turns out, I should have jumped out of my car and talked his ear off until R got out of the store said hi.

Because just moments later, when R came out of the store, I quickly realized my car was not going to start.

You probably saw this coming long before me...

It was hot yesterday.

I waited in the car quite awhile.

I ran the AC.

With the engine off.

Yup. The battery was dead.

Lovely.

So. I call one of my very bestest friends (that just happens to live in the town we like to hang out in) and it turned out her husband was basically next door to where we were. Woo hoo.

So he shows up. And we realized all of us had jumper cables. None of us had them in our cars. Ha.

Enter Scooter (complete stranger but that's what he told us his name was, I wasn't going to argue with the Good Samaritan). Scooter does carry his jumper cables in his car. Novel idea. And he was kind enough to let us borrow them.

So A gave us a jump and Scooter harassed R about the Cubs shirt he was wearing and how it may just be the cause of our car troubles.

So there ya go. I'm not perfect (shocking, I know!). And my husband has not let this one go yet.

Though this whole thing could have just been a ploy to see some of our favorite Ankeny people. ;)

Glory?

Recently I was attacked.

Emotionally.

Personally.

Deeply.

It hurt.

A lot.

I've been physically attacked before. In many ways, that seemed easier to deal with.

The last few weeks I've been quiet. withdrawn. sad. (and if you ask my husband, grouchy. thankfully no one asked him. ahem.)

The morning of the attack, I had a pow-wow with God. I told Him He reminded me that morning that I knew He was the same God today as He was yesterday and would be the same God tomorrow.

You know how those days usually go.

So at the end of the day all God had to say to me was, "You do know I'm the same God, right?"

uhhhh.... yeah.

"This is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

How?

I'm in pain. I really don't see how this is glorifying Your kingdom.

I

just.

don't.

get.

it.

And I didn't. For a long time.

I cried. I whined. I complained.

And then one day I started praying.

I stopped praying for Him to take away my own pain and started praying for them.

I started praying that they may know Him. Really know Him. As much as I was hurting, I'm going to venture a guess that they were hurting more.

It's not about me. And it never was.

sigh

It's not often (okay, ever) that I post two posts in a row with a picture of me and the hubs together. But I just wanted to check in and say I am in fact alive. I've survived (barely) another school year. And here's the photo to prove it.

I worked my last work day today and followed it up with a really fun wedding. Long, exhausting day (okay, week, month, year), but I've survived and am now officially ready for some r&r.

Bring it on, summer.

Bring it on.

Hicks Ranch

It's (almost) summertime down at the Hicks Ranch.