My girls love to sing

This weekend, I was folding laundry in my bedroom and from upstairs I hear two little voices singing. It was Jess and Tay. They were just belting out different songs. As I stopped to listen the one they were singing is a children's song from church (primary). I didn't even know they knew the song, especially Jessica since she is still too little. The song isn't the common songs that we sing around the house or even at church. Its about baptism. The first verse goes:

Jesus came to John the Baptist, in Judea long ago
And was baptized by immersion in the River Jordan's flow.

It was so sweet to hear these little voices singing about Jesus Christ being baptized. Jess would stumble a bit over a word (hello - Judea and immersion aren't easy for a 3year old) and Tay would say, no ... stop, stop start again. Then they'd stop and giggle and start again. But I also realized Jess knew the words and as teasing Taylor because she'd take them out of order and laugh. This went on for about 2 or 3 minutes. Eventually they switched to other songs and went on with their playing, but I thought it was just cute. I wish I had been quicker to grab the video camera to record them.

Really though, all 3 of our girls love to sing and I often find any one of them (by themselves of with their sisters) singing a song. Sometimes they are made up - especially Alyssa - but usually they are pretty close to accurate. I hear lots of humming and other noises too. Today Taylor showed me that she can play the ABCs on the harmonica "without saying the letters". She was so proud of herself. This is of course, after she chased Jessica around the entire house trying to get the harmonica because Jessica was playing her own little song. Then they decided to share - with mom's strong warning of "Otherwise I'm taking it away!" I love that they love music. I love that they are so happy.

From my friend, "Isn't it crazy?"

This is copied from my friend, Jennifer Milne Bickmore. She is a friend from when I lived in California. We never kept in touch when I left, but have become good friends again now with the age of technology (facebook and blogs). Thanks Jennifer! This is so true, I loved it and wanted to remind myself and others the same thing. I was actually talking to a friend on Friday about how some recent happenings in my life have helped me even though it has been confusing. I think I called it "my battle with me" but its my issues and how I view me.

From Jennifer: HOW WE SEE OUR SELVES IS DIFFERENT THAN HOW OTHERS SEE US? Think about that! Time and time again people say the nicest things to me and I sit there and think are you crazy? Because I don't see that at all!!! Or think anything near that about my self! I have thought a lot about that over and over. Especially lately for some reason. And I think ALL my friends near or far are AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, TALENTED, ETC ETC !!

But I know that we all don't usually think the same about our selves! Why is that? For this week I think we all need to give our selves props and look at who we really are and that what others see in us is truly who we are. I think we put our selves down far to often. I know I do all the time. So I challenge you this week to take a look at how amazing, beautiful, talented, awesome, SPECIAL you ALL are!

They may be Jennifer's words, but they are my thoughts too!!

Beware all!!

I'm in the scanning old pictures mood. Don't be surprised to see pictures of you pop up on my blog ... especially those of you I've known for 10+ years! Most of them will go on my facebook because a lot of my old high school and elementary friends are on there ... a few will show up here though!

Who do they look like?

A friend sent me recent pictures of his 4 kids. As I looked at them, I thought about who each one looks like. I could see him in one child and two of the others have his eyes. Then I thought about my kids. So now, you get to decide. Who do they look most like? Mom or Dad? I've added a few pictures of all of us at different ages. Sadly, I don't have many pictures of me as a kid - my mom still has most of the ones from when I was little, but I was able to scrounge a few. And the scans of Steve and I are a little messed up, but hey, you get the basic idea.

Steve

Donna (me!)

Alyssa

Taylor

Jessica

So, who looks most like Steve and who looks most like me? Post your vote! : )

Over the years ...

I don't have much new to post so I thought I'd do some fun looking back ones. Steve and I when we were engaged ...We were so skinny back then! First there are two.


Alyssa at aboaut 6 weeks old. Taken in early August 2000. Yes, she really was that big ... the outfit was probably a 6-9 or even 9-12 month outfit, but she really was only 6-8 WEEKS at the oldest in this picture.

Now there are three! Because of the complications for both Alyssa and I after she was born, this was probably the first picture we took of all 3 of us.
Taylor joined us almost exactly 3 years later. She is about one month old in this picture. Taken July 2003.
Next comes four! Our family has grown a bit.
This is Jessica ... again at about a month old. Can you tell what month she was born - Valentine's all over! This was taken in March of 2005.
And now we are five!!

No, there isn't a 6th coming! The only babies around our house now are those that belong to someone else or that are swimming in our aquarium!! I've got about 16 baby fish right now, and that's all I need. :)

My Steve!

I think of all the gifts I've ever bought for Steve, his plane and controller are among my favorites and his too. He gets A LOT of use out of it. It is so fun to sit and watch him fly. He is just in another world, content, calm, relaxed ... like there isn't a care or stress in his life. He so needs and deserves that. I'm sitting in my office right now, with my window open, listening to some birds chirping and about every 30-40 seconds a BUZZZZZ as the plane flies close enough to the house or street for me to hear it. He's out by himself, but content as could be.

This isn't a new picture but I wanted one that shows him with his plane and I don't get to take those very often. Usually the plane is high in the sky doing rolls or flips or inversions or some other variety of tricks or just speeding by at 50+ mph and hard to catch!

I love him so much. I fell in love with him because he could always make me feel happy, make me smile and laugh something I didn't do a lot of as a teenager and early college years. He also always made me feel beautiful, confident and secure. He's just that cool! A friend invited me to go out to dinner last night. Earlier in the week, when I talked to Steve he wasn't really thrilled about the idea - I don't know if it was because he didn't want to put the kids to bed on his own, if he wanted me to hang out with him or what - so I didn't schedule it. Yesterday morning, he was out mowing the lawn. I went out to talk to him and he asked what time I wanted to go to dinner with my friend. I told him I wasn't going and he told me he thought I should. What a sweetheart. He's always telling me how proud of me he is - about my business, about being a mom, about working out. And he encourages me to excel and work hard and do better while reminding me that I'm already doing great. What a great guy to have as my best friend and forever as my husband! I love you Steve!

Quirky

I wasn't actually tagged for this one, but like learning about my friend so I thought I'd share and maybe some of you will too. If you do this on your blog, make sure to comment so I can check out how quirky we all are!

Rules: Link the person who tagged you. (She didn't tag me, but I found it on Jennifer and Duane's blog - link at the side) Mention the rules on your blog. Tell 6 unspectacular quirky things about you or your family.

1. I can't stand to have email without reading it ... I check my email at least 20 times a day. I just leave it on all the time and as I switch between projects or tasks (computer related or not), I check my email. I especially hate to have junk mail in my junk box...

2. The night before a trip, I start packing late in the evening. I plan it all in my head and on paper for days but the packing actually starts late. I used to stay up all night that night and pack. Now, I try to be fair to Steve and at least go to bed for a couple of hours so I don't keep him awake. : ) I think it started when I was little. I remember packing to move to NC (after I had stayed the summer with a friend's family) and we packed the very last day. I had lived with them for 6 weeks so my stuff was EVERYWHERE in her room and some around the house. She and I worked most of the night trying to find it all and get it all packed. The night before I came to college wasn't much different. Two of my friends came over and I threw things on my bed and they helped me box it (although that time I had an excuse, my mom was in the hospital so I'd been kind of distracted).

3. I like to pile things ... I always have piles of papers and things on my desk and counter and even beside my bed. It drives Steve (who is almost OCD about the house) NUTS!

4. This one should come as no surprise ... I'm a talker and even bigger writer! Anyone who knows me, knows I can carry on a conversation forever and I can write the longest letters, emails and blogs of anyone on the planet! I remember writing MANY letters when I moved to NC and then when I came to college that required multiple stamps to mail them!

5. I hate breakfast. I almost NEVER eat it. I like the foods, just not at breakfast time. I almost never eat before 10am.

6. I'm a huge sentimentalist! I thrive on memories from the past and daydream all the time!

Bonus one ... I'm a planner. I HATE to not have plans for things set in stone way in advance. That's probably why the current no job situation is so hard for me! I can't PLAN things. I can't plan when or if we'll have money, what we can or can't do ... I just can't plan!

I hope you enjoyed this brief look into my quirky life! Now it is your turn!!! Go do it!! :) I hope you all are well and up to the challenge!

A little Sunshine ...

A sweet lady in my neighborhood was at Costco today. She said she was thinking of me. She told me that what she was bringing me wasn't very original, but she hoped they shed a little sunshine on my week. She brought me these.


A little sunshine for my counter!!
And a little "paradise" too because I have so many great friends around me.

How blessed I am! This lady isn't a really close friend, she's not someone I've done much with outside of church activities. But she is someone who listens to her heart and reaches out to others. She is an example and someone I look up to so much!! Thank you!

Another friend called this morning to just check up on me ... nothing really important to say, just wanted to see how I was doing. Thank you! It really is the little things!

I've had so many emails, facebook comments and notes, I just can't say thanks enough. When life is tough, friends who care have really come out in droves to be there to support me. Even with no job at the moment, I know my family is so blessed! Blessed with friends, great neighbors, a great family, many tangible things, our educations and experiences and so much more!! Thank you to my friends and family who keep reminding me of what life is all about and who keep helping me smile. And I want you all to know that right now, Steve and I are both being blessed with a lot of faith and peace that this will all work out.