Smiles for Miles

Today is 3 years since my son Miles passed away. On his Heaven day, we try to do something good for others since Miles was so good to us. We try to celebrate his little life by bringing some happiness into the lives of others (Smiles for Miles) which in turn makes our day much brighter, too!

One year, we bought fish at a pet store for a little boy buying his first fish since Miles loved his fisher price aquarium. Last year we bought new little preemie clothes for needy families at our local NICU. Many of Miles' nurses have donated Fisher Price Aquariums to our local NICU that say "In memory of Miles" on the back so that other babies can enjoy the toy that brought my little guy so much comfort. Some of our friends and family have spent time at nursing homes visiting with people who don't get visited often, cooking dinners for someone, paying for the food for the person behind them in the drive thru, and the list goes on and on. It always does my heart so much good to hear how Miles' life was honored on that day!

If you'd like, I would love for you to take part in Smiles for Miles...just do something to brighten the day for someone around you this week! I'd love it if you would either email me or leave a little note here so I can hear what you did. I have a place where I keep all of these...it's always so nice to see the different ways people spread love on his Heaven day!

I am so thankful that I got to be his mommy...he was one special kid!

We are currently on vacation in the Wisconsin Dells and I've been trying to figure out how we are going to make someone smile today. As I was sitting here typing this in the hotel lobby, a little 3 year old boy went into the gift shop with his mom and I thought "ok, here we go." I went in and offered to buy the toy for her son in memory of Miles. It was good sharing his story with another mom and I managed to keep my composure until after they went back to their room (and now I'm pretty teary!)

I had planned to post some pictures of us during our vacation this week, but there's no place for my CF card on this laptop and I forgot the connection at home...so you'll have to wait until we get back!

Mason LOVED doing the John Deere stuff in Moline yesterday and now owns a bigger "crawler track tractor" that he doesn't want to let out of his sight!

Mason was really brave at the waterpark today...Millie, not so much! :) She and I spent the majority of the day in the lazy river! I'll post lots of pics when I get home!

Thank you all for all of the love and support you all have given our family! It makes days like today so much easier. We love you all dearly!

Thank you!!!!

I want to thank everyone for all of the e-mails and phone calls about the new website! There have been several people express interest in shoots and are trying to figure out the best dates for their families...it's so exciting! If you want to be one of the first 5, you'll need to hurry up and nail down a date...they are filling up quickly! I can't wait to hang out with you and your families and capture your day together!

I've spent this afternoon (while the kids are napping...I love naps!) ordering some new goodies! I ordered my business cards, note cards, some letterhead, postcards, and even a t-shirt (it was free, so I figured why not!) It'll be a few weeks before they get here, but it was fun creating everything!

I'm insane and am going to have a garage sale on Saturday before we leave next week for vacation. I figured it would be nice to have some extra spending money while we are away...especially since gas is so expensive! I have PILES of clothes and toys to go through and tag. Anyone want to come over and do it for me? LOL!

I need to run and edit some pics from my friend's wedding before the kids wake up, but I wanted to make sure I popped in and said thanks! :)

New site special!

In honor of my new photography site, I'm running a little special!

The first five people to book a session will get their session fee credited to them in their print order, making their session free!! I'm excited about building my portfolio and getting to spend time getting to know your families! Give me a call or e-mail me to book your session soon!

It's official!

Well, it's official! I have launched my photography website and would love for you to check it out!

www.acrossthemilesphotography.com

I couldn't believe when I uploaded it yesterday and saw it officially on the internet. It was a total mix of "I'm so excited, and I'm going to throw up" all at the same time! LOL! I'd love to know what you think about it, so leave me a comment here or on my contact form on the site! :)

Thanks for taking the time to look! Now I need to go and catch up on some neglected laundry!

So Busy!

I don't want you all to think I've neglected you! I'm currently working on building my photography website & it's a lot of work! I'll try to get some Easter pics and new scrapbook pages uploaded soon! (maybe the kids will go to bed early tonight!)

Oh what a night!

(I know...you're now singing that song, right?)

Tyler was out of town last night and I started smelling a gassy type odor in the hallway, in Mason's room, and in Millie's room. It didn't smell like "rotten eggs" so I wasn't too worried at first...and then I started thinking about an extreme makeover home edition episode where the house blew up...and then my mind went a zillion different ways. I called Kay, then I called the fire department, and they said to call 911. Well, I didn't want to be the laughing stock of the neighborhood with rescue crews at my house over nothing, so I called Kay back and Lee came over. Everything checked out fine (we think it's something with the water heater...but it's really not a big deal). So...yes, I over reacted! LOL!! But, better safe than sorry, right? (and you are all laughing at me right now, aren't you?)

Well, I missed the first half of Lost because of the crazy smell...but I did see the second half and I cried at how it ended. This show just loves to torture me! I've spent some of my morning looking up different things I've missed on the show and different people's theories on what's really happening. It's all so interesting and just makes my head hurt! I love, love, love this show! (If you haven't watched it yet, go buy the seasons or get them from Netflix!! You'll love them!)

I'm finally watching the last season of Gilmore Girls...another great show that you really need to watch all of the seasons...it's so witty!

I gave up on watching survivor this season...It just didn't thrill me this season! What are you all thinking about American Idol right now? I think the right people keep going home. My favorite girl is still Brooke White & my favorite guy is David Cook. I think it will be a really good season!

I went shopping and got the kids their Easter clothes!

Millie got this dress from Gymboree:

She twirled and just walked like she was a princess in it...and she cried when I made her take it off. She looks soooooo sweet!

I'm hoping to get her some new "Wee Squeak" shoes. She LOVES her pair she has now, but has outgrown them. It's funny to see people smile and laugh when she squeaks past them! We love our squeaky shoes! We currently have a brown pair, but I'm debating maybe getting a white pair for the spring/summer. I don't know...maybe I need both!




Mason's going to wear a cute outfit we got from The Children's place. Tyler picked it out...which I thought was good since I'm so over the top when it comes to Millie's stuff! :)









I kind of giggled at the green pants, but they look cute on! Poor Millie is probably going to freeze since Easter is so early this year!

Speaking of purchases...Travis sent me an awesome deal for the Canon XTI on Sunday and I ordered me a new camera from Dell! I've been saving money for so long and was able to get the camera with the 18-55mm kit lens, the 580EX flash, and a 50mm lens! The delivery guy delivers it piece by piece each day...so far I have my flash and the 50mm lens...I want my camera! :) I can't wait to see how different it is from my Minolta!



So, now that I have a better camera, I'm feeling more confident about launching my photography website. I need to sit down and figure out how to develop the site and get it loaded. All of the technical kind of scares me so I keep putting it off! :)

Ok...I've rambled on enough for one day! Here's some new layouts! But first, Lauren Reid made a John Deere kit for Mason! :) You can pick it up in Lauren's store at www.littledreamerdesigns.com right here!




Thanks Lauren!!!! You're the best! Here's a layout I made with it:


and here's some other layouts I've made here lately:




Have a great weekend, everyone!

14 years ago today....

14 years ago today, my mom passed away. It's so hard to believe that I've almost lived as much of my life without her than with her. I can imagine that my mom would've been an amazing grandma to Mason & Millie (and I know she's an amazing one to Miles!) They would've had fun making the zillion types of Christmas cookies that she made with her! I'm sure they would've had fun going to garage sale after garage sale (even if she wouldn't let them buy yucky stuffed animals!) They would've loved getting warm hugs and sweet kisses from her, too! (I know those are just a few of the things I loved about her!)

Some other little things about my mom...
~She made the yummiest lasagna...I'll grab that recipe and share it here in just a second.
~She kept our home spotless...Why didn't I inherit that trait from her?
~She could cook anything...and it was always so yummy. Well, except for her goulash. Macaroni noodles and tomato paste are just so gross together!
~She had the curliest hair, but we didn't know it was curly until going swimming on a family vacation in the Lake of the Ozarks. I just couldn't believe how beautiful it was. (Maybe that's where Millie gets it?) She used to roll it up in huge rollers are night and sit under a hair dryer to straigten it out. She would sleep with it pinned up and under a handkerchief like Aunt Jemima...super sexy! haha! Abbie inherited mom's hair color and texture!
~She was the fastest typist I had ever seen...she would do the church bulletins on Saturday nights and I was always amazed at how quickly the keys would click!
~She had such a sweet, tender heart. Money wasn't always abundant growing up, but she always made sure we had everything we needed...I didn't know differently! I remember wanting an IOU sweatshirt from The Merry Go Round store when I was in Junior High (It was THE sweatshirt to have.) They were really expensive, but my mom surprised me with two of them that she bought for me to take on a Youth Group trip to Oakland City College. I remember thinking I had the coolest mom ever.
~She used to pack my lunches when I was in elementary school (usually Carl Budding Beef with mustard...the thought of it still makes me gag today). I remember occasionally finding little notes from her or fun treats in my lunch box. There was one special toy (it was a little pillow person, again...they were cool then!) I found one day & I remember the feeling of just sheer joy when I found it!
~She was a bargain hunter. She loved garage sales and good clearance racks! I 100% inherited that trait from her! I remember if we found a close parking spot (the first spot that wasn't handicapped by the store) then she'd say "Must mean there's good deals inside!"
~She would say "Brrr, shiver, shiver, shake, shake" when we got out of the tub when we were little. My kids say that now, too!
~She never gave up hope during her cancer battle...she fully believed she would win the battle. Even though she was fighting with all she had, she still thought of ways to make sure certain things would happen if she did pass away. I remember her sitting down with me and asking me which pattern I liked of silverware. I was thinking "cool, we're getting new forks and spoons." But, I had no idea I was picking out silverware for me when I got married! Who knew forks and spoons could hold such a high value in my house?
~She was pretty quiet. Again, not a trait that I inherited. Even though she was quiet, she had an opinion on things. I can't remember mom and dad ever having a fight. They never argued in front of us. I can't thank them enough for that. I loved growing up in a home where I felt so secure! I never fought with my mom, either. I truly hope that my kids will be able to say the same about their upbringing!
~She clung to the verse "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." We definitely didn't understand why we were going through all we were going through as a family, but we trusted.
~She had a beautiful voice...I wish I could hear her talk again. I kind of forget how it sounds.
~She had a strong genetic code...Abbie & I look so much like her!
~She wore the perfume called "Design." I still have her bottle of perfume in my bathroom medicine cabinet & will open it to take me back to her scent.
~She seemed so brave when she found out she had breast cancer and then had to have her labor induced so she could begin chemotherapy. She seemed so strong when Abbie had to go to the NICU. She seemed to have the patience of Job as she endured treatment after treatment and month long stays in the hospital. She seemed so secure as we shopped for new swimsuits and bras after her masectomy. She never wanted us to see her without her wig or turban on, though! :) She seemed invincible after she was cancer-free. A year later when it returned, she still seemed so brave.
~She loved to have her feet rubbed. I used to get kind of grossed out by her cracky feet! I remember sitting on the couch in the living room and her asking me to rub her feet. She was so sick and didn't get off of the couch much and I would sit and rub...cracky feet and all. I remember in the hospital after she passed away touching her feet and crying that I wouldn't be able to rub them any more. I inherited her cracky feet.
~She cried when she had to put her dream home up for sale & move into a little parsonage. She made that little house a wonderful home to grow up in.
~She was a wonderful pastor's wife. The congregation really loved her...and she loved them, too!
~She had beautiful handwriting.
~She had really dry skin...I inherited that, too!
~She had a smile that would light up a room...I like to think that I inherited that, too!
~She was beautiful. She struggled with the weight she put on during her treatments...but I always thought she was so pretty.
~She was my mom, my friend, and my hero.

Man, I'm really missing my mommy today!



Here's my mom's lasagna recipe...it's world-famous, just ask the people at Bethel General Baptist!
1 lb hamburger
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp basil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 can tomatoes
2 (6oz) cans tomato paste
10 oz lasagna noodles
large container of small curd cottage cheese
1/2 c Parmesan Cheese
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 lb Mozzarella cheese

Brown hamburger slowly. Add next 5 ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Cook noodles. Combine remaining ingredients together, except mozarella cheese. Place 1/2 noodles in 13x9 inch pan. Spread 1/2 cottage cheese filling, 1/2 Mozzarella cheese and 1/2 meat sauce. Repeat. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I'm wishing I had everything at home to make this for dinner tonight!

I know I've shared this layout before...


Mom...I love you so much & thanks for helping make me who I am today. Give little Miles hugs and kisses from me...thanks for watching over him. You are so very missed!

103.7

Poor Millie's still sick! Her temp was 103.7 last night. The poor kid was still playing and acting good, so I had no idea! We did the Motrin/Tylenol & she slept from 8:30 last night until 8:30 this morning. She's been running right around 100 so far today. I'm hoping she's almost over it! It's so weird...she had just one bad diaper yesterday, but nothing else seems to be going on. I have no idea what's really wrong with her! We've just been taking it easy around here...watching Cinderella, Barney, and Tarzan. (well, those are the movies that are on while the kids just run around the house! :) ) Mason & Millie are sound asleep right now...I hope they take good naps!

This morning, I put batteries in Miles' fish aquarium so that Millie could play with it in her bed (her bird one broke.) As soon as the music started playing, it just took me right back to Miles' bedside in the NICU. There are just so many memories around that fish aquarium. Tyler tucked her into bed and she wanted it on...and he said the same thing. "Man, that really takes you back!" Millie loves watching the fish, just like Mason & Miles always did!

It's a winter wonderland around here today. We're supposed to get 4-6 inches & it's really coming down right now. Mason's ready to go and play outside! I'm just trying to pretend like I'm happy that it's snowing...I'd much rather it be 70 degrees! Instead, I'm just sitting inside, snacking! I can't seem to stay away from the Girl Scouts Thin Mint cookies today! Those things are soooo addicting! (you'd think with the word "thin" in their title that they wouldn't be so bad for you...I'm going to pretend like they are figure friendly!)

Here's some more layouts...it's crazy just how much much they have grown!

What a week!

Last week was quite an eventful, emotional week!

Abbie's team lost their game on Wednesday & they were pretty heartbroken over it. But, there's a FABULOUS picture of Abbie that you really must check out! Click here! *wink* Love you, Abb!

Our friends, Brian & Melissa, adopted a sweet little girl from Korea last week! (The link to their blog is located on the right hand side of my blog--Melissa Lewis) I have cried so many happy tears for them...their videos are amazing! SaRang is so lucky to be placed into such a loving home! Congrats Brian, Melissa & Camden! I can't wait to meet SaRang...I need to find some time to sneak down to Nashville!

On Wednesday, we found out that Christina Taylor passed away in a car wreck. My heart was breaking for Joy & Amy because I know how hard it is to lose a mom. There are still so many days I just wish I could pick up the phone and say "Hey mom, how did you make those cookies? Or, Mom, I'm having a hard day & just need you." So many of those feelings came back in full force Saturday night at the visitation. Joy, Amy, and Ernie I love you all & am praying for lots of comfort for your family.

Wednesday evening I was loading the kids into the van and realized someone stole the DVD players out of the van, some DVD's and some CD's. Tyler noticed that they took his binoculars out of his truck. But, in the grand scheme of things, it really wasn't a big deal. We filed a police report (Mason was in awe of having Police inside of his house!) and we just need to turn it into insurance.

Millie decided to spike a fever before church on Sunday night and has been plagued by a stomach bug yet again! We went to the doctor today to get Mason & Millie's ears rechecked after their infections last month & they look good! He wasn't worried about Millie's temp & bug...he thought it was just a mild case & she should feel better soon!

Yesterday was in the mid 60's and I have officially been bitten by the Spring Fever bug. It was so nice to just play outside & my spirits were so lifted yesterday. It is now FREEZING cold and tonight we are supposed to get 4-6 inches tomorrow. I'm not one bit happy about it! GRRRRR!!!! I am so OVER winter!

I've done quite a bit of scrapping here lately! The designers I create for have been pumping out a ton of products!









My two woke up and need some mommy time! :)

District Champs!!

We went to Abbie's basketball game on Saturday for the district championship & they won! Woohoo!! They play on Wednesday, and if then win they will play on Saturday. If they win on Saturday they will go to state! I'm so excited! Here's some pics from the day:

Jeremiah says "Go Bobbie!"


Here's Great Grandma, Great Aunt Naomi, and a sick Millie (she was wearing the cutest dress on Saturday until she got sick...poor kid!)


James, Jenna, (our online settler's buddies!) and Maddilyn:


Mason and Great Grandpa:


Check out these crazy warm-ups they are wearing!


I thought this was way too cute! So Abbie, who is this guy? Hmmm...??


Group Huddle:


and the question of the day is...where did those arm muscles come from? I think I need Abbie to be my personal trainer!


Go Team!


I didn't get any pics of Abbie actually playing (and she played quite a bit of the game) because Millie had no desire to just sit. She and I spent most of the game walking the track that ran around the gym! My dad took tons more pictures...and he has the group shot of those of us that were there! She had quite the crowd! I'm so proud of Abbie...and for playing Varsity as a Sophomore! You rock, girlie! Can't wait to hear how you guys do on Wednesday!

It's Thursday...

so that means it's a great TV night!! AI will reveal who got kicked off, Lost looks super exciting tonight...I always love the Kate episodes, & I've been watching Eli Stone.

So, who do you think is going home tonight on AI? For the guys, my bottom 3 are Garrett, Jason Yeager, & Danny. The girls...Amy Davis, & the first 2 that sang. I think I liked the guys better than the girls this week. Who do you think are going home?

I had plans of having a much needed "mommy night" tonight, but I think I'll wait for a night that isn't such a good TV night! :) Plus, it's freezing & it's supposed to snow & sleet tonight...sounds like a good night to stay in my pj's, drink coffee, and watch TV!

Here are some layouts I haven't posted on here yet.






Well, Mason just walked in and he's soaking wet from his nap! Gotta run!

This is so true...

Have you ever seen this video?



I think Tyler should start doing his counseling like this! :)

There are times I need to tell myself "Stop it!"

I won!

Remember the pink layout about Millie from a couple of days ago? Well, I won the Pink Week Template Challenge! :) I won a Wacom Bamboo Tablet and it should be arriving at my house in a couple of days!

Pretty cool, huh? Thanks Miriam and team!! :) Also...Miriam and I are talking about having me do some photography challenges with her site. I'm excited to work along side of her! I need to keep pushing myself to learn more with my photography & this seems like a great opportunity!

Speaking of photography...wanna see what I'm drooling over?

It's the Canon XSI...it has 12 megapixels & it seems like a great camera. It isn't released until April, but I'm reading everything I can on it. I have been wanting the 40d, but it is still out of my price range (not that this is much better!) I'll also need a speedlite flash, a 50mm lens, and I'd like a 70-300mm lens, but I'll just have to get it all piece by piece. Hopefully I'll get to do some photo sessions this spring so I can save for some new fun stuff! After I get my camera setup, I'm going to save for some lights so I can do some studio stuff. Woohoo! (It's all still a big dream, but a girl's gotta dream, right? I just keep waiting for a few grand to fall from the sky!)

Here's a few new layouts for you guys!







Today is shaping up to be a busy day...Tyler has a missions board meeting, and then a church board meeting tonight. So, that means I have no breaks until he gets home. I feel a Starbucks night coming on soon! :) I'm looking forward to American Idol, though!