Looking for constructive feedback

I'm working on a flyer for the Women's Retreat. I need to have it done in less than 24 hours. So if you see this within the time frame, let me know what you think. Click on the image to see a detailed image. Thanks.

Picture this...

A four year old boy, with bad aim, using a toliet.

Now picture...

Your pastor doing the "four year old boy, with bad aim, using the toliet dance" during the middle of his sermon.

LOL! It was freaking hilarious. Thanks for the laugh, Justin. :O)

Angie feels...

Heartbroken
Frustrated
Annoyed
Busy
Ill
Sad

My morning mission

Today, Wes is home sick. However, he has put in almost 5 hours worth of work, working from home. He let me run some errands this morning on my own. We needed some food staples. I headed off for Costco. Shortly after leaving, I remember that Oleson is under major reconstruction. No worry, I'm not in a hurry. In fact, I rather like the slow pace of waiting for the construction flagger. You see, I have this little thing I like to do. My mission is to make half of the flaggers smile. While all the other drivers are annoyed and impaitient, I just try to smile and seem like I rather enjoy all the construction. Today, I only managed 2 out of 8. But hey, that's two more smiles out there then there could have been. By the way, it was an excellent day to go to Costco today. There was no one there. I was quite shocked by the lack of shoppers. It was nice. I bought some flowers to grow up my new trellise that Troy built us.

heartache

A couple of months ago, at an Ethnos Sunday gathering, I looked around the room and saw heartache everywhere. So many young families in the mist of struggles. It really struck me how many of my sisters in Christ were hurting so much. Sisters who ache for children and wonder if it will ever be their turn, if God will ever give them a child. Sisters who grieve the loss of an unborn child. Sisters who ache for their older children whom they may be lossing. Sisters who are struggling to be single mothers, while trying to heal from the wounds left by an absent husband. Sisters with wounds of all kinds and sizes, from things I can't begin to imagine.

So why write about this now? Because I was reminded of this pain yesterday. I saw it in the empty, sad eyes of a child with a broken heart. A child who is carrying more heartache then they should.

I weep.

I weep for my sisters.

I weep for the children.

Lord, see our tears and hear our cries. The pain is deep. The heartache is great. Give my sisters the cries of their hearts. Mend their wounds. Restore their hope and joy. Bring laughter to the eyes of the children. Be their Father. Bring healing. Dry our tears.

So I was going to sit here and tell you something, but the words excape me. I thought I had something interesting to share, but noting seems interesting right now. It's Monday isn't it? I feel like Monday, blah. I wish I had more to share... I will find a photo to share.

Multnomah Falls, January 17, 2007

snowflakes

We're home. (In case anyone cares.)

I just wanted to share with you some of my shots from Tuesday. These ones turned out better then the ones from Saturday. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. I am fasinated with snowflakes that actually look like more than a wet blob falling from the sky. For those of you who don't know much about photography... These are extremly difficult to shoot. Unless you have an entirely flat flake (I've never ment one) and are prefectly aligned you cannot get the entire flake to focus. And for those of you who do know something about photography... I shot these entirely on manual, full open at 2.2f, at about 1/20-1/30 of a second, with my D70, my 24mm lense, and a reversing ring.

Thank God for the Ethnos forum

Our plan was to head home this morning. But early this morning I decided to see what was new on the forum. That's where I read that Matt was snowed in at his appartment and that Jenn and Troy were heading out to go play. Hummm. We decided to turn on the tv and see what was going on. Thus we discovered the bad weather in Portland via the forum. So if we hadn't had the forum we would be on our way home right now, not realizing what lay ahead. Now our stay and Wes's parents' house has been extended. Josiah couldn't be happier. Maybe we will go sleding again today in the timber. The plan is now to head home tomorrow dependent upon what happens today and tonight between here and there.

Josiah has decided that he is ready for solo sledding. Last year he didn't even want to be pulled in the sled. He's growing up so fast. Before you know it, he will want to start at the top of the hill.

Am I a bad mother? I laugh every time I see this picture. I can't help myself. Maybe it's okay to laugh since he came up smiling ready to tackle the hill again. I wasn't laughing yesterday. The sled took an unexpected turn. He headed right for two trees. The sled was just narrow enough to pass through. But as he went through the lowest branch attacked his face. After some tears he was ready for more. I kind of think he may be a little proud of his battle scars. :O)

These are two of my best snowflake pictures from the other day. You see, the problem is that the snow was two days old. I picked a handfull up off the ground and then dropped it onto the car. So the flakes are a bit beat up. I do believe there is some fresh snow out there now. Maybe...

Yuck, what is it???

I know. Do you? :O)

Greetings from EO

We're at the Smith Farm for the weekend. We've been playing in the snow. It's cold, in the teens. Today's high is supposed to be around 17.

Tried to shoot some snow flakes yesterday. Shooting macro with a reversing ring is hard work. I would like to get a microscope. But seeing how I finally got my telescope, I don't want to push my luck. Haven't looked to see if I got anything good. We should be heading out to play soon here.

We brought my new telescope. We're still waiting for ordered parts to come in so that I can attach my camera properly. Still, we brought the telescope. It was cloudy last night. Tonight is supposed to be clear. Lots of stars to see when the sun goes down around here. Wes is excited about the prospects of nebulas and other galexies tonight. It will be cold viewing.

I've been updating my blog this morning. Added many new blog links. Did I miss anyone? I've been wanting to play around with things a bit, but there just isn't a lot of down time in Portland to do that kind of thing. I have enough trouble finding time to actually post...

Hope you're all staying warm.

music to a mother's ears

"I've gotta go poop."

Yesterday I wanted to dance and sing after hearing those words for the second day in a row. Could it possibly be that we are in the potty training home stretch. Is there light at the end of this frustrating, tiresome, long tunnel?

Christmas Day

Uncle Stephen read us a Christmas story before we open gifts on Christmas Day.



I think Wes likes his Christmas present. He had figured out I'd done something. Between delivered photos that I wouldn't let him see and a toddler who said something about taking pictures of his guitar... But I don't think he expected what he got. :O) I think Josiah was just as excited to see the final product.
Mom made each of us a crazy quilt. This one is Amanda's (Scotty's girlfriend). Mom used scraps from over the years. They were her's and her mother's fabric scraps. I can look at these quilts and see shirts that my grandfather wore, mom's bridal dresses, my childhood dresses, and many other things.
After opening gifts Mom, Amy, and I work in the kitchen to get dinner (and snacks for hungry toddlers).
While Wes, Dad, and Scotty take a nap. Stephen felt the need to borrow my camera and take some pics. Note the orange box next to the couch. That would be the new toilet set for the main bath. Josiah later claimed that mommy and daddy opened his Christmas present, the toilet seat for HIS bathroom.

Christmas Eve at Ethnos

Ashby shows Josiah how to put the rings on the candles for the gathering. Josiah loved helping.



Now that Josiah is putting in Ashby's share of the work, she can go play. Yeah right.
Some the the kids practice singing Away in the Manger before the gathering.

Laura and Ava
Jeremy and Liam

December happenings part B

Yes, there are 33 candles on Wes's B-day cake. Hurry up and blow them out, Wes, or your ice cream cake is going to melt.

December 22, 2006




Josiah finds a book for Daddy to read to him before heading home from Grandma's house. December 22, 2006

Josiah looks mad. We're not sure why. Maybe he wanted to go to the nursery to play and we wouldn't let him. Maybe he isn't sure about Uncle Stephen and Aunt Amy is real life. (Since he's only seen pictures of them most of his life.) But he was "mad" most of the service. And I really think he was watching is Aunt and Uncle out of the corner of his eye most of the time. December 24, 2006

Josiah at Grandma Bethune's on Christmas Eve, 2006.

December happenings part A

Picking out our Christmas Trees. Josiah thought this one would look great on the table with his minatures on it.

December 3, 2006

Josiah loves decorating the Christmas tree. It wasn't very "pretty" this year. But Josiah did 3/4 of the decorating so it looked great.

December 10, 2006

Josiah likes to lend a helping hand at the Ethnos gatherings. One task he can do is roll carpet and carry the small pieces to the trailer. He has also been spotted picking up unused correspondance cards and pencils. "Can I help you?"

December 3, 2006

Josiah likes to help at home too. Here he helps me make Christmas cookies. He counts cups of this and teaspoons of that so that I don't loose count.

December 17, 2006
Wes's Christmas present!
Completed: December 22, 2006

A Christmas in review

The Christmas holiday has seemed very busy this year. I suppose one reason would be that I made most of our gifts this year. I made mosaic art pieces. They included trivits, pots, and pictures. (I'm sorry to say that due to being sick for two weeks, I'm still not quite done.) I also did a bit of sewing. I made noodle pillows. I'm also almost done with Josiah's rob. I also did this way cool photo montage for Wes. I did a photo shoot with his guitar and then created a mat for 11 of the photos in one 2'x3' frame. It is sweet. I am very proud of it. So I've been busy.

The Thursday before Christmas my parents came over to kidnap Josiah. YIPPY! Wes and I went to the Wolverton Christmas party. Wes went into work late the next day. Then we went to pick Josiah up in the evening. I'd made Wes a birthday cake and when we got there we made pizza and celebrated Wes's birthday. He's 33 now. Wow! I remember when 30 sounded so old.

My brother, Stephen, and his wife, Amy arrived from Alaska early Saturday morning. Having flown the red eye, they were zonked, so we decided not to go visit on Saturday.

Sunday morning we arrived at my parent's church for services. It was nice. Our whole family was there. This was the first time Stephen had been home in 3 years. After church we had dinner at mom and dad's. Then we left for the Ethnos gathering. We arrived early so that Wes could go over the lyrics and stuff for running the power point during the gathering. Josiah enjoyed helping Ashby and Natalie get the candles prepared before the gathering. My mom, Stephen, Amy, and Scotty (my little brother) all came to the gathering. It was nice to have them there. Afterwards, Wes, Josiah, and I went home while my family headed off to Scotty's church for one last service. We all opened one gift that night. Josiah got his Christmas pj's, We'd gotten Wes a big book on astronomy, and I got a dimmer switch for our bedroom (with the promise that it would be installed soon.)

Christmas morning Josiah came into our room. He prompty told us that he "didn't hear Santa last night." We opened our stockings and the few gifts that were under our tree. Wes got me the telescope that I've been asking for for about five years. He also got some of the parts that I need to hook my camera up to it. I'm still waiting on the rest... Thus he's spent more time on the scope than I have. By 11 we were at my parents house for the day. So there was another stocking round and a few more gifts. We got a magic bullet. It will be a fun little thing to have around. So much easier that the big blender or getting the food proccessor out. We had a big Christmas dinner and a nice afternoon.

Tuesday we all went to my grandparents. It had actually been five years since they had seen Stephen. We did some family pictures and had lunch. Wednesday we actually stayed home and Wes went to work. Thursday afternoon my parents and Stephen and Amy came over. My parents came to babysit while Wes and I went out with S&A. We ended up going to the Rock Bottom. Wes had wanted to go to the Portland City Grill but it was already booked up when we tried to make resevations. Anyway, we had a nice meal and good conversation. It was nice to be out just the four of us.

The weekend went quickly, I can't really remember what we did besides church and our Monday lunch at Chuck E Cheese's. Mom and Amy came over Tuesday and Amy and I went out for lunch. We went to the Elephant Delicatessan. It was a fun place to eat a visit. Then we went to Powell's. I still had a GC so I bought Amy a book and a couple for myself. Wednesday we went to my parent's to have one last family dinner for the next couple of years.

What suprised me the most about our Christmas was the way Josiah warmed right up to his unknown Aunt and Uncle. He's not usually that warm towards those he even sees on a weekly basis. But within a couple hours of arriving at my parents house on Christmas Eve, he was just being himself around them (well, for the most part). I was truely afraid that he wouldn't even talk to them before they left. I was afraid they wouldn't get to know him at all. But when he said goodbye he gave Stephen a pound and Amy a hug and kiss.

Now it is a normal Saturday, the first of the new year. I got to sleep in and read this morning. Stephen and Amy left for Ancorage Friday (yesterday) afternoon. Things are suppose to slow down now. I doubt it. I don't think that will happen till Josiah leaves for college.