The Literal Sense of Sight Seeing...

So today we had eye exam appts for all the kids. Mainly because Lindsay & Tiffiany have to have exams yearly (Lindsay) & every 6 months (Tiffiany) and figuring it was time to have the other kids examined we made appts for everyone to knock it all out at once.

There we are, all sitting in the waiting room as each child is taken back for the initial check before seeing the Dr. Time to see the Dr. now and the boys are first in the long line of kids. So I’m sitting there, watching the examination and noticing lots of similarities from 6 years ago at Tiffiany’s first exam. Then I hear phrases like “oh wow” and “my goodness” coming from the Dr as he looks into Nathaniel’s eyes and of course as a Mother you begin to squirm in your seat wondering what these phrases mean, while knowing down deep inside it’s not gonna be good!

Nathaniel being himself in true fashion is squirming in his seat (the boy hates sitting still) and with his short attention span is really trying to do as instructed, at least as much as a 5 year old boy can. Then comes the news, the Dr. (who we love by the way) says that Nathaniel has the same vision problems that Tiffiany has (massive stigmatisms that without attempted correction can cause blindness) but while Tiffiany only has this in her right eye, Nathaniel has it in both! Shortly after that news was given Gabriel’s turn came and the same diagnosis was given only his are not as bad as Nathaniel’s but are still bad. This is about the time that I’m really wishing that twins didn’t share everything!

So, there we spend a good 30 mins with each child trying to get a prescription for them and it’s just not happening due to time constraints, their ages and attention spans etc… not to mention we have the other kids to deal with too, so now we have another appt set up for yet another attempt. What’s really frustrating to me however is the fact the soonest appt we could get was for almost 2 weeks away. Here I know the importance of getting this taken care of so my boys can actually see, and I have to wait 2 whole weeks?! UGH.

The appts continued on and finally after almost 3 hours of being there we walked out of the office with 1 new pair of glasses ordered for Tiffiany, Tara needing none (20/20 vision YAY!!!) and 4 boxes of new contacts in a variety of colors ordered for Lindsay along with a new appt for the boys again!

I wonder how many people really do take their vision for granted, I know that I used to before having my children deal with the vision issues they’ve dealt with. What is it like to not be able to see properly, I’m glad that I’ve never had to find that out, but am heartbroken to know that my children do know and will always know that without their glasses the world looks differently to them, strange and distorted!

Superior Being or Only Human?!?

As I write this I am currently getting over the ickies that my beautiful children brought home to me from school (aren’t they the best, giving gifts to their Mom?!). I’ve been battling this thing for the better part of a week and a half, just now I’m starting to feel better, and I’m praying it continues!

This school year has been a rough road so far, since this is the boys first year of school and starting Kindergarten is exciting and fun, it also means kids that aren’t normally exposed to tons of people and their germs tend to get every cold and virus under the sun! This is what seems to be happening in my house these days.

First it was Nathaniel & Tara…then it was Lindsay (although she had no fever so continued going to school) then Tiffiany who gave it to me (yay…NOT) then it was Nathaniel again UGH!!! Right now we’re all well (except for me in which I can’t seem to kick this stupid cough) and I’m hoping that we all stay this way (well, I’d like to get rid of the cough).

This however is what really burns my backside…Jim gets NOTHING, no cough, no fever, no sniffles…NOTHING! What is up with that? Why does he get to stay well in a house full of sick people, one of which he sleeps right next to nightly?! Is his immune system really that superior or are ours really that weak? Why does it seem that he can skate through living with all these sick people and come out on the other side with no signs of sickness, while I the one who doesn’t have time to be sick, who even while sick still has to get up and take care of the rest of these people gets the worst case of whatever virus is in the house at the time.

I tell you its TOTALLY UNFAIR!!! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wish sickness on anyone, especially the LOVE OF MY LIFE, but while I don’t wish it on him, I really don’t want it to be me either! Oh I don’t know…maybe just seeing him with a sniffle or two would do me good…maybe then it would be proof he’s not some superior being, but only human like the rest of us!

To Hell In A Hand Basket

Am I the only one that thinks our country is going to hell in a hand basket? I often think that I am. Everyone I know seems to muddle along through life thinking all is as it once was, everything is fine and the state we find our country in will soon be over. The unemployment rate will soon begin to lower, and if that starts happening, well of course that means that jobs are being generated right?! The new healthcare reform will pass through the house and senate and then life will be wonderful because everyone in the country will be covered by the government’s new “health care system”. No one seems to be asking the real questions (well, other than me, my husband and the few friends we have that are willing to give their opinions on it) questions like…who’s going to be paying for this reform plan? How much is the plan going to cost? Questions of this nature, you know the hard questions.

I have a theory; I’m sure an unpopular one with the majority of the population that voted the current president into office, those that have drank the “kool-aid” of the golden election message of “change”. I will have to say one thing though, when Obama spoke about change, he meant it didn’t he?

Of course it’s not the change we all thought he was talking about; you know the message of changing things for the better, making a “good” difference in the country. Instead we’ve gotten change of rising debt (as of Aug 2009 it’s $11,589,703223,031.73 now that’s a hell of a lot of debt), a recession above and beyond what we’ve ever seen before with a deficit to the tune of almost $800 billion and rising (although now since things aren’t getting better as they predicted, it’s all Bushes fault still…just like Democrats, always gotta blame it on someone else….please spare me!)

How about the jobs he said his stimulus package was going to generate? You know, the ones that the White House keeps saying are there, but there’s no record anywhere of them! What’s the unemployment rate up to now? Over 9%, 10% in some states….yeah, those jobs are really working wonders for “the people” aren’t they?!

Change, yes, that’s what we’re getting alright. Let see, he’s changing (or attempting to) the health care system. Not just any health care system, but one of the best working systems in the world. Now, does that mean that our system isn’t without flaws? No, of course not, but what would a democratic country be without flaws, and the chance to change those by the opinion, works and votes of “the people”.

What Obamacare is offering however is something totally different that than, he’s is offering socialism, (or the beginning stages of) and that is unacceptable. Instead Mr. Obama (I have a problem with calling him Mr. President…it’s just how I feel, and since I didn’t vote for him (I voted for the sane candidate) I can bitch all I want about him) wants to have the government take over your healthcare needs. He wants the government to be able to decide whether you live or die, if your life is important enough to save! Yeah, those are exactly the people I want making those decisions….NOT!!!!!

I wonder if anyone other than me has read a current article in the Wall Street Journal about Obamacare. If not I suggest you do so, it’s rather eye opening on the current fiasco with this whole thing. Here’s some examples… “At his news conference last week, he said “Reform is about every American who has ever feared that they may lose their coverage, or lose their job. . . . If we do not reform health care, your premiums and out-of-pocket costs will continue to skyrocket. If we do not act, 14,000 Americans will continue to lose their health insurance every single day. These are the consequences of inaction.”

A Fox News Poll from last week shows that 84% of Americans who have health insurance are happy with their coverage. And because 91% of all Americans have insurance, that means that 76% of all Americans will be concerned about anything that threatens their current coverage. By a 2-1 margin, according to the Fox Poll, Americans want coverage from a private provider rather than the government” – Wall Street Journal article “Obama’s Great Health Scare” by Karl Rove

Oh there’s more….

”Last weekend, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) demolished Mr. Obama’s claims that his plan cuts the growth of future health spending and won’t add to the deficit. Responding to a White House proposal to create an independent panel to recommend Medicare cuts, the CBO said on Saturday that “The probability is high that no savings would be realized” in the next decade, while entitlement spending would rise $1.042 trillion. The CBO did say there might be $2 billion in savings in the second decade of the program—a pittance.” – Wall Street Journal article “Obama’s Great Health Scare” by Karl Rove

Here’s more of the article –

“The House version of ObamaCare adds to the deficit even though the new taxes to pay for part of it begin two years before the program itself kicks in. That head start puts ObamaCare in the black through 2013. But net new spending after that overwhelms future revenue to add to the deficit each year.

Keith Hennessey, who was a National Economic Council director for George W. Bush, estimates the annual deficits in Mr. Obama’s plan will grow to $64 billion a year by 2019. And this assumes that Mr. Obama gets all the tax increases and Medicare cuts he wants.

On Sunday, the CBO released another torpedo at the burning hull of USS ObamaCare. Responding to an inquiry by Rep. David Camp (R., Mich.) about whether the House bill would run a deficit in its second decade, the CBO reported it would “probably generate substantial increases in federal budget deficits during the decade beyond the current 10-year budget window.” The CBO does not believe that Mr. Obama’s proposal “bends” health-care spending down, as the president has repeatedly claimed it would. The CBO says it escalates above today’s rate.

By 2029, Mr. Hennessey estimates that new taxes will bring in $143 billion a year, while net new health spending will have increased by $348 billion a year.” – Wall Street Journal article “Obama’s Great Health Scare” by Karl Rove

This is the best part to me –

“Team Obama’s pressure, however, might have caused the CBO to release its latest missives on a weekend, when fewer people are paying attention to the news.

Mr. Obama’s problem is that nine out of 10 Americans would likely get worse health care if ObamaCare goes through. Of those who do not have insurance—and who therefore might be better off—approximately one-fifth are illegal aliens, nearly three-fifths make $50,000 or more a year and can afford insurance, and just under a third are probably eligible for Medicaid or other government programs already.

For the slice of the uninsured that is left—perhaps about 2% of all American citizens—Team Obama would dismantle the world’s greatest health-care system. That’s a losing proposition, which is why Mr. Obama is increasingly resorting to fear and misleading claims. It’s all the candidate of hope has left.” – Wall Street Journal article“Obama’s Great Health Scare” by Karl Rove

I personally hope that Karl Rove is right, that the healthcare plan proposed sinks like a burning ship, because if it doesn’t, mark my words. Not only will the first step in socialism have been taken, but by the time Obama is done with his term in office, this country will be resorted down to something none of us will recognize. A country where dictatorship will be the next step, where democracy will be a thing of the past and if that happens, then this is not a country I wish to be part of.

The theory I spoke of earlier…Obama is single handedly trying to restructure this country from the ground up, and in return will destroy it. If we the people don’t do something about it, we will regret it greatly.

So America…wake up and smell the foul odor of what your being fed by this administration, because if you don’t, you will no longer be living in a free society, you will be living in something far worse than you ever could imagine!

To hell in a hand basket people, that’s where we’re headed if we do not stand up and do something now!

It only took 20 years....

I have a friend who lives in PA, we talk pretty much on a daily basis and lately most of our discussions involve how much my life seems to be changing. Not only is it changing, but it's changing quickly, then again isnt that how life changes in general though, quickly?

We keep joking around talking about how I'm not going to know what to do with myself come the fall. Two of my oldest kids are out of the house living their lives on their own and the remaining 5 will be back in the public school system after we move. So, where does that leave me during the day? I tell ya where it leaves me, it leaves me ALONE in the house, having the house to myself to do what I want and need to do.

My friend of course keeps saying I'm going to loose my mind, I however have a different prespective on things. I keep dreaming of being able to take a nap during the day without interruption, being able to clean the house and it staying clean for more than 10 minutes at a time. Not having to fight someone for the remote control to the TV, or having to watch what "they" want to watch because that's just what Mom's do! I dream of not having to look for hours upon hours for something I just put down and the mysterious little hands in my house picked up and lost it for the hundreth time!

So, you see while I will miss my sweeties while they are in school during the day, and already miss the older ones who have flown the coupe, there are those "dreams" of mine where my days will be MINE to do with what I want and need all on my own. Ya know what's really funny though, it only took 20 years to get to this point....that's not so long is it?

The Big Day has Come and Gone

The wedding was beautiful and while there were a few minor messups (as there always is with weddings) all in all I would say it was their perfect day! For me it was bittersweet seeing my oldest child walk down the aisle, knowing she would be leaving, heading off to her new life as a wife. What's the old saying? "your not loosing a daughter, but gaining a son" well we of course feel that way, but there still is that bit of emotion that wells up inside of you when you go through something like this. Now of course it's time to move on, get back to the daily grind of this life that we lead. I just wanted to pop onto the blog and share with everyone that it happened, it's over and we had a GREAT TIME! Here's a few shots of the big day and the new Lcpl. & Mrs. Mark Alm! Wow, gotta get used to that new name :)

It's a Marathon, not a Sprint!

So, here we are in the final week before the wedding. Also known as "the week of hell" according to Jim. I always love Jim's little nicknames for stressful events, he's so, oh how shall I say this....MARINE! So, yes, here we are in the week of hell, running all over the place for last minute things for the wedding. The stressers of meeting the new inlaws and hoping everything associated with this wedding turns out just as planned without anything going wrong. So, for future reference I am here and now demanding that Murphy stays far, far away from us on Saturday!!!!

I wonder if other Mother of the Brides feel the pressure and stress of their daughters wedding day, or if it's just the lovely honor that's been bestowed upon my shoulders since I'm the planner etc... (we wont go into that since I've already blogged my feelings on that one) What's really funny is I seem to be more stressed than the Bride...now, what's wrong with this picture?

Today is the day that really starts the whole event, my stepson flys in this morning, then Charity's best friend and Maid of Honor flys in tonight. We have tuxes to get for the boys, hair to figure out for the girls, family from all over coming in and of course then the day to day duties I have just as a Mom. If I make it through this event sane and without killing someone I'll be doing wonderfully and will consider it all a success!

You know, what's really funny is I havent even let the fact my baby is getting married get to me yet. I'm wondering if it will only hit me as I watch her walk down the aisle looking gorgeous on her Dad's arm, or will it be when she says those words "I do" to her future husband, or will it only hit me after everything is over and I realize she's really grown up, leaving us to start her own life and family.

With all that aside, I'm just trying to take this one minute at a time, one day at a time, that's pretty much all I can do. I've also made a mental note to myself....remember....it's a marathon, not a sprint!

Mother of the Bride & Wedding Photographer...

Well, here it is June and Charity gets married in 9 days...gosh...I'm getting so old! I dont shoot weddings (it's just not my cup of tea) but Charity has asked me to shoot hers, so of course I couldnt refuse! So, now not only am I the planner of this wedding (remember my last entry about not being a planner?!) but am now the wedding photographer too, not to mention the "Mother of the Bride" and by the end of it there will probably be tons of other titles I'll have attached.

All that aside however, it is a honor that my daughter would want no one else to shoot her wedding but me. That makes me feel good! What I really fear however is this will become a trend. As we all know I have 3 more girls coming up and am really hoping they dont "ask" me to shoot all their weddings because being a Mom who loves all her children the same, I will of course never refuse that request. Can we all say STRESS?!

Anyway, so here I am the "wedding photographer" and in true fashion I put on my photographer hat and did Charity's bridal session. Being her Mom of course I want her to have all the important pictures that goes along with a professional wedding package and a bridal session is a must!

Off we went to get a trial run of her hair do for the big day and it turned out gorgeous, she really liked it and luckily one of my best friends is a hair dresser, so we got the trial run for free! Free is always a good thing, but I'm getting off track here! So, I took this opportunity to go ahead and do the bridal session. With hair done and dress and accessories in place we headed off to a beautiful plantation house here in the county we live. In true southern fashion we did shots at that house! I really think the images turned out great.

So in true "Mommy bragging" fashion, I thought I'd share some of the images from the session of my gorgeous daughter in her wedding dress. This is about the only place I can post these images for now because my future son in law has access to everywhere else I post pictures, he doesnt know about my blog, so this way he wont see her dress or how gorgeous she's gonna look on their wedding day!

Planner...I AM NOT!

Have I mentioned lately how much I destest planning anything? I know, I know, one should always plan everything right?! Yeah, well that's totally not for me as even when I make plans I can never keep to them, so why waste the time to make them in the first place!

Well, here I sit after a month of not really having to make any plans. Helping take care of my precious grandbaby, be there for my kids, do photography shoots occassionally when the need arises and be wife to my Marine who graciously arrives Friday night each and every weekend. These things dont require planning, they just require the routine that is my life.

So, now that all the excitement has passed from the baby being born and all that goes with it, now comes the time I'm supposed to get back to my planning duties for Charity's wedding. UGH...why me? Why do I have to be the planner? Oh yeah...it's because we cant afford to hire one! Geesh, a million dollars would come in handy right about now!

Considering that this blessed event is only 10 weeks away I suppose I should really get off my duff and finish what I started, but ya know, I wanna be like the kids who say when they forget to finish what they started "well Mom, I just didnt think about it" yeah, that sounds like a good excuse right, because as we all know I should accept it from them, so why cant everyone accept it from me?!

Okay, well I guess I should get back to my lists to help with the planning...lets just hope I dont get sidetracked...wait....is that the phone ringing?

I'm Officially a NANA!!!

Well this is a little late in announcing considering my Grandson is now a week and a half old, but I am officially a NANA!!!

Charity gave birth to baby August on March 14th at 10:33pm after only 5 hrs of labor (how freaking awesome is that?!) He came into this world weighing 8lbs 6ozs and 21.5inches long.

Mommy and Baby are doing wonderfully...he's now jaundice free and is gaining back the 6oz. he lost after birth. He's a little piglet as he does not want to miss a meal! Yes, this little man will definitely be fitting into the family just fine :)

Meet my Grandson "August Guy" isnt he a handsome little fellow!

Will he ever get here?????

Okay, for the last couple of weeks it's been pins and needles in my house! Why you ask? Well, because we've been waiting on a very speical person to arrive...that of course would be our first grandchild "Baby August" as he's so affectionately called by the kiddos!

Now granted, first off before I say anything else, I do realize I'm completely impatient! I know that my daughter is only 3 days past her due date and this baby will come when he's good and ready. That however is not making me feel better! I wanna see him, I wanna hold him and I wanna TAKE PICTURES OF HIM!

Whew, okay I'm over that little rant, I definitely feel better now! Well, maybe not completely better, but better. I do however feel sorry for my daughter, she's so very miserable, anxious, ready for baby to be out, and all the other feelings that describes the thoughts and outlooks that a overdue pregnant person feels.

You know what's really bad, this might just be my fault. I was 10 days late with every one of the kids except the boys and that was only because they were twins and breech, so they did a c-section early due to dilation. I wonder as I sit and watch her miserably exsist if she's inherited that gene that makes babies wanna stay inside forever LOL :) My Mom was 10 days late with all of her kids, so maybe there is some logic to this thought process. Either way it sucks to be overdue, to be waiting and wanting to meet your new little one and nothing happen, you feel as though you'll be pregnant forever and trust me that's not a fun feeling at all!

So, here I sit waiting, which I find ironic considering the thoughts of being a "Nana" (yes, Nana, because I'm not a GRANDMA...I'm way tooooooooo young to be that!) wasnt something I was looking forward to in the sense that it is just one more reminder that my youth is slipping away faster than sand through a sive...wait....did I just say "slipping away".....yeah I guess I should've said "slipped" huh?! Yeah, the mirror never lies, although I wish it would just once!

Hopefully my next post however will have a picture of my new grandbaby....BABY AUGUST!!! Wish us luck!

Photo Blog is now launched...

Hey everyone and anyone who might be interested. I just wanted to let everyone know that SPS Photography's Photo Blog is officially launched now. Please go check it out at http://www.spsphotography.blogspot.com there I'll be posting with the newest pictures from recent sessions and projects. They'll be sneak peeks of images from client sessions and the new happenings with SPS Photography! So, if you should feel inclined to head on over there I hope you enjoy the images. Feel free to bookmark or follow the blog as well! I'm so excited!!!

Many Blessings to all of you and your families!

Snow Day!!!!!

SNOW DAY...this is what I heard screamed at the top of all my children's lung on Tuesday morning! It had been snowing for over half the night ya know and here in central NC the white stuff isnt something we see a lot of! Sooooooooooo, the rumbling of little (and big) feet running down the stairs, doors opening, freezing cold air barreling into the house is what woke us up that morning!

Of course after I walked to the coffee pot not caring about anything happening in this house until that first cup of java was in my hand, I did manage to look out the kitchen window at the beauty of almost (at that time 3 inches) of the white stuff covering everything in site and it was still snowing (believe it or not) which amazed me.

The children got Quads (4 wheelers) for Christmas so of course that was one of the first things out of their mouths "MOM...can we go quading in the snow?" my first answer was....dont you think you should eat something and no one steps one foot outta this house until I can actually get some undesturbed pictures of the snow (if I hadnt said any of that they would've barreled out of the house ruining all the beauty of the white blanket).

So, off I went to my room to put on my layers (remember I knew how cold it really was out there since my house was now almost the same temp as it was outside due to open doors letting in all that fridgid air) grab my camera and out the door I went. Here are some of the shots I got outside all alone in the peaceful beauty of a winter wonderland.

So, after I finished my little adventure into the frozen world of the snowfall of 09, I reluctantly let the clan out for some fun in the snow. Boy oh boy did they have fun too, then again have I mentioned that we dont get snow here very often? I thought I did =)

Oh and look...the Dad even got in on the action. This was the beginning of a snowball fight that lasted oh....ALL DAY LONG!!!

and here is the progression of things.....

Yep, even one of my best friends in the world came over to play! Amazing how a little of the white stuff can make everyone become a kid again!

Yeah, I can definitely say that it was a AWESOME SNOW DAY!!!!

God Is Good...

I am often amazed at how many blessings God has given me in this life of mine. I am too often reminded that I dont thank him enough for these blessings. One of my New Years resolutions is to be more thankful to him for the things in my life I hold so dear, to draw closer to him and remember with him all things are possible.

This thought process is what brings me to the most recent blessing. The blessing of a Grandbaby (yes, I'm far too young to have a grandchild) who will be making his arrival this spring. Today I got to see first hand one of God's many miracles in full view, and in real time. A 4D ultrasound of "baby August" (as the boys so affectionately call him) I saw his precious little face, his sweet little smile and his huge little feet ( yes, this child is gonna have some huge feet, just like his Mama) it was all so amazing. All I could think about was how amazing God's work really is.

All things happen for a reason, and this is something I've seen through out life constantly, and this little soul is here for a reason too. I cant wait to see his little face as I hold him in my arms. To see my daughter experience the wonderful moments of motherhood (although we know they are not always wonderful ) and to be able to say "that's my Grandbaby" with as much pride as I had when his Mother was a babe.

I am thankful to God for all the blessings in my life and I will hold those whom I love close in my heart. I am thankful to be "baby Augusts" Nana!