The Photo Shoot

As promised, here are the pictures that were taken a couple weeks ago. (If you don't know the background on these pictures, check out my previous post). It had been 3 years since the twins have had a professional photo. The big girls have had their yearly school shots, which haven't been too bad. But it was high time for everyone to have a fresh look to hang on the walls. There's a young woman who grew up in our church (in fact, Kristen used to babysit her and her siblings), who has recently begun her own photography business. She specializes in birth photography and is becoming adjusted to middle of the night calls. She likes to do creative photography more than posed shots, but I talked her into taking more formal photos of the twins and the four together. (One thing really odd - the twins' dresses are a deep purple, but always turn out looking royal blue in photos - the ones we took and these as well).

It was an unseasonably warm January afternoon in Colorado, so we took got them dressed up, took a blanket outside, and here are the results. I love them and will have a hard time with the ordering of prints.












Here comes Michelle's creative part - she told me she wanted to shoot the girls cooking or baking something together. I decided that muffins would be the easiest, so I set out everything they needed, they changed their clothes (all in animal prints, as it turned out) and she began clicking away. It was fun.

They all got their licks in, but Katie was licking the spoon more than the others.

They even offered to do the dishes - so I had to get it immortalized!

They were delicious!

BTW, I just learned that our photos are being stored in a cyber spot that filled up without my knowing I even had an account. Did you know this? I had to order a bigger storage area - not expensive, but I didn't know anything about it until I got a message that I couldn't load any more, right in the middle of this post. I was shocked.

Have a great week!

Bits and Pieces of This and That

Oh me, oh my. It's been 11 days since I wrote a word. And then it wasn't many words, but mostly pictures. I think of bits and pieces of things to share, but then they disappear into thin air, never to return to my brain. So I think I will start carrying around a pad and pen to write down snippets to remember when I get back to the computer. I don't know how long it will take me to publish, but I'll keep trying to get something going. There doesn't seem to be much newsworthy stuff going on around here these days.

We've had about six snowfalls so far, since October. I wouldn't really call most of them snow storms, but just nice moisture. The mountains are not receiving much this year so far, which is not good. When I see people on Facebook complaining about snow, I realize that I am not crazy about the white stuff, but it is so much better than drought in the summer. I hear most of the snow is stuck up there over Alaska and just keeps pouring down on them.

I am getting real here. I am just tired. This is part of the reason, but only part . . .



It has been almost 6 weeks since I got into the boot. I've been treated with physical therapy once or twice a week for the last month. The foot massages, exercises, and electrical impulses seem to be helping. I also do some of the exercises at home. I realize that this injury is minor compared to the physical trials of many, but I have to say I am really weary of lugging this thing up and down stairs all day every day, taking care of the girlies. I see the podiatrist a week from tomorrow (Friday) again, so hope for good news then. He says we must have 100% improvement or it will just go back to square one when I get out of the boot. And I do not want surgery. My back and knees are also tired of the uneven gait, though I've tried my best to wear equalizing shoe heights.

This was such a weird quirky accident - I computed that in my 33+ years in this house, I have gone to the bathroom in the dark at least 12,000 times. Add in the last few years of aging, and that number increases to more than once a night, and who knows how many times I made that little trip safely - I must have been more than half asleep that middle of the night when I crashed into the doorjamb and broke that ugly hammer toe, causing the tendon on the next toe to tear.

I have tried to get to the gym as much as possible, but the only cardio I can do is the recumbent bike. It takes so much time to change out of the boot and into the shoe, switching the orthotic from the boot to the exercise shoe, and then reversing after exercise. I tend to avoid going rather than deal with the hassle. which is NOT a good thing.

So - the other reasons I am tired include adding sugar and white flour back into my diet and losing all of the progress I made 2 years ago right now. I am not only back up where I started, which wears on me, but psychologically I am beyond disgusted with and disappointed in myself. I get up every morning vowing to get back on the wagon, and fail. I don't know what it will take to get my motivation going again. You'd think that feeling lousy and not having anything that fits (remember the purge of my closet last spring?) would do it, wouldn't you?

I keep avoiding going in for my annual physical (which is now six months overdue), because I don't want to weigh. The other reason for this situation is that it is so hard for me to plan ahead for anything with the crazy schedule of our lives - we never know much ahead of time what Kristen's schedule is going to be. I'm just tired.

On a positive note - I finally got to the basement and have most of the mess cleaned up and in totes. I bought 4 more, hoping that what I have left to organize will fit into them - but the more I think about it, the less likely it is that this will be the case. Someday I'll finish!

It's been 3 years since the twins have had a professional portrait made - we have hundreds of pictures, but none done by an expert since they were 1 year old.



There's a young woman I've known since before she was born who is now getting into her own photography business. She specializes in birth photography - getting up in the middle of the night (or she says she has insomnia, so she's usually still up) to photograph the coming of the new baby. She's been wanting to do our 4 beauties for a long time, and we finally got together last Saturday. She prefers outdoor settings, but we missed the prime time for that opportunity. However, it was a warm, balmy winter day Saturday, so she was able to do the more formal shots in our back yard on a blanket. She sent me a teaser, and we're so anxious to see the rest. She prefers doing action shots, so after she was finished with the dress-up shots, we came into the kitchen where the girls created some muffins while she caught the activity. They should be amusing. I'll be sure to share them as I get them.



Remember when I told you about the nativity set I was excited to get from my nephew and his family in Peru? My sister and BIL just returned from their amazing trip down there to visit and they brought back this wonderful set - the pieces are about 2 inches high.




This particular set is very realistic, according to my sister, for the area where they were visiting. Chad and Amanda are working for two years in the city of Puno on a short term mission adventure. They live close to Lake Titicaca and the floating islands of northern Peru. The women wear their hair in these double braids, caught together in the back.

The boat where the baby Jesus is lying is a good likeness to the vessels the people use for transportation




The cap worn by the baby Jesus is like the ones worn by the children on the islands. Interestingly, the little tiny baby is anatomically correct.

I am so happy to add this beautiful set to my collection. In fact, I am going to display it all year rather than try to find a place to stash it, requiring me to drag out one of the Christmas totes.

One nice thing happened to me today - unbelievable, actually. I went to the grocery store sans kiddoes. The young man who was checking me out asked, as usual, if I found everything. I said yes, but it took me 3 trips back up and down aisles to get things I had forgotten. He said the same thing happened to him all the time, and I commented that I was glad to know it wasn't just my old age that caused it to happen. Which led him to tell me I wasn't old, which led me to telling him I was indeed. He said I didn't look a day over 40, which led me to ask if he wanted to see my driver's license. He did, and he continued to tell me that I couldn't possibly be as old as my license proves I am. It was so sweet, and I told him he's my new BFF. Even though my body and my mirror tell me the truth!

Well, I guess I came up with something to talk about after all. Thanks for bearing with me as I "bare" my soul a bit.

Have a great week-end!

Snippets of Christmas Around Here

It's been a very busy, full of Christmas fun, kind of week. Kristen is working at Hobby Lobby again and you can imagine how busy that place might be at this time of the year! And that means we've had the girls alot - but they've been able to sleep at home most nights, which makes them happy - and us as well!

Last Sunday morning was one of my favorites of the entire Christmas season - the children's musical at church. This year's play was called "Christmyth Busters." Hayley had a lead speaking role, and was actually the "myth buster" for the other kids. She was called a "brainiac" by one of the kids in the play - I felt it was great casting on the part of the leader. The gist of the story was that there are a lot of traditions we celebrate that aren't actually in the Bible stories. The truth is that these are not essential parts of the story, but things that we've envisioned over the years - such as 3 wisemen (we know there were 3 gifts, but not necessarily 3 wisemen), the innkeeper does not appear in scripture (but if there was an inn, must there not have been an innkeeper?), December 25 was the date Jesus was born (we don't really know this as fact, and probably it was more like spring or summer that the shepherds were out in the fields with their flocks). But the bottom line is that the basic story is all we need - Jesus was born as the Savior of the world.

Livi played the star in the East -- and she literally smiled with joy through the entire performance.

It was fun watching the twins watching their sisters - soon they'll be up there too!

Friday night was the annual Walker Manufacturing Christmas party - it is always a lovely event with good food, Christmas caroling, a video presentation of the events of the last year at the company, drawings for prizes, and bonuses. Dwight's quartet sang again this year.

A tradition that never changes is when all the guys and their sons go to the front and sing "Silent Night." Hayley thinks there should be equal opportunity for the ladies and girls and that we should sing next year. Maybe it will happen!

Today (Sunday) was awesome at our church. We've been rehearsing for many weeks now for our adult musical. We had such a great group of singers this year, some for the very first time to sing in a choir. Our leader, Rhonda, is amazing and brings out our very best, and we are better than we really are.

My sister and our friend, Ruth, wrote an amazing narrative/drama to fit with the music. Ruth played the grandmother and our worship pastor's daughter played the role of the grandgirl helping her grandma decorate the tree. Maddie wasn't feeling well at all this morning, but she powered through with lots of prayer holding her up.

Before the musical presentation, my parents were given a great surprise. Dad and Mom were awarded with the Distinguished Service Award. This is an honor presented by our church to someone who has given of themselves to God and the church, often times in the background. My folks have pastored in Minnesota, Arkansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and Washington. Dad has constructed buildings in many of those locations, often doing much of the physical labor himself. It was my task to find pictures of each of those places we lived for a power point presentation - a challenge indeed, but so much fun to surprise them. They were caught totally off guard, and that was the plan!




My sweetie took me out for a fabulous Sunday dinner at the Bonefish Grill - such a classy place with an amazing menu. Tonight we have our last meal with our 4x4 group, to end a fabulous week-end.


Every year I hang this crewel embroidery picture that I made years ago. I look at it briefly when I hang it, and walk by it many times while it's hanging as a decoration.




One day this week I was showing it to one of the twins when I really looked at it closely for the first time in a long time. I realized how long it's been since I was this creative and was proud that I used to be so good at this kind of thing. It's one of the many things of which I say, "I used to . . . . "

I can't imagine how much time it took me to do all those French knots for Joseph's hair!

So - now it's onward to another very busy week. I have to get to the podiatrist tomorrow to see what he thinks the next move is, since my foot isn't really "all better" yet. I hope, if it's a cast, that it can wait till after the 2 rehearsals and 4 performances this week.



Next up I think I'll share my collection of nativity sets with you. Have a wonderful week!