i had my first shoot saturday morning since ms. ja'kya has been born. feels good to be getting back in to the groove of things! this was a really fun family to work with and we found this nice spot that i think i'm in love with now!!

from nearly a year ago, but i'm lovin it!!

flag football season is in full effect! this is mikayla's first year playing. it makes for a busy day when you add soccer in to the mix. heres a few pics from her first game today. had to snap a few before i send my camera away to new jersey to be FIXED! yes, FIXED! it has just gone crazy! it wont focus on anything unless i put it in auto mode , which i hate doing! i've tried different lenses, different settings, everything, no luck. so, it will to away and hopefully come back brand new! dont know what i'll do in the mean time, my camera is almost like a part of me!!!

vietnam veteran memorial

see the slideshow here

i finally finished the slideshow that i've been working on for my dad for his birthday. let me know what you think! they are of pics that i took last summer when we visited the traveling vietnam wall. my dad is a vietnam veteran. he voluntarily joined the army very young and eventually ended up fighting in the war. when he arrived in vietnam, a friend of his, richard mckinney, said to him ; "rollins (my dads last name) , stay with me and i'll keep you safe".
neither of them knew how prophetic that would end up being. one day they were ambushed by the enemy and came under very heavy fire. after making it to "safety", the next morning they went out to do a body count. while on their way back they noticed something in the bushes (i'm not sure what, whether it was a person , trap, or whatever). at that moment , richard mckinney said to my dad, "rollins, watch out" and jumped in front of him to shield him from the attack (again, not sure at this point if this was fire they were under or if something had exploded or what). by mckinney jumping in front of my dad to sheild him, mckinney not only saved my dad's life but unfortunately also took the brunt of the attack and died in the hospital a few days later as a result of his injuries. this slideshow is in tribute to him and in honor of my dad and all others....

yes, my child loves the nasal aspirator. she will run from me if i try to use it on her, but she LOVES to play with it herself!!

this was our view when leaving mikayla's soccer game on friday. we won 3-1 with mikayla scoring one goal. this pic is straight out of the camera. if i feel up to it i may crop out the cars out of the pic, clone out the light pole and burn out the stuff that is showing in the trees. i love sunsets!

journaling reads:
sometimes life moves so fast that we�re bound to miss a moment or two. its true wha they
say that a photograph snatches a little slice of life and forever holds it, captured for
all to see...for all to remember. the big things, i�ll never forget...like my wedding day
... the day that each of you were born...our first home. these things are easy to recall. its those little things. the things that when we get caught up in living and
doing and being and going that sometimes we forget too quickly. and, really,
sometimes we miss all together. its those little things,all put together,
all added up that make up life. theseare the things that i want to
remember. like the way you sit on the end table and stare out the window. the way you love to play with everyone�s shoes. how you love to be
chased and think that you can really get away. the way you push the chairs
all over the kitchen and can drink a whole cup of milk...nonstop! how you
drive all of us crazy by constantly pulling the videos off the shelf!!
this is everyday life for us. the little quirky things that make you you. tomorrow though,there will be new quirks, new habits,
new attitudes! its constantly changing, life in motion.. you�re
growing so fast that each day is new. i�m like the story teller,
trying to capture it all...to tell and retell the story. a keeper of the memories. i want to tell it all , i cant miss a moment of this life!!


word art: katie pertiet at designer digitals

i've been trying to practice around the house today using a bit of natural light. kenzie wanted no part of it, she started trying to take the hat off as soon as i put it on! i need to work on not blowing out the white as much. from the pic you can see that the light source (a window) was too our left and a bit behind her.

okay. so when posting the below layout tonight, i notice a text only post beneath. i dont remember posting anything. glance down to read it and it says "HI BLOGGER". i'm thinking, ok, some one has "hacked" into my blogger acct and is trying to be funny by posting this. kinda mad for a sec. and then my mama brain takes over. i remember that i've turned my ten year old daughter on to the world of hello and im'ing. mainly just to chat with her over our network here at the house. well the girl has caught the bug and gone crazy. the other night i was chatting with helen (911mom) and mikayla sees this and just has to chat with helen. helen says she's cool with that so i introduce them. she chats helen's ear off. i have a hard time getting her away from the computer and giving helen a breather. the girl is hooked. so, to sum it all up. this is my theory. i'm gone (cause this is the only time she would even try to get on my computer, she has her own and mine is off limits to her) she sits down on my computer. you know how hello is always on (at least mine is). she sees "blogger bot" log on and decides to chat with him/her. says "HI BLOGGER" , clicks enter and there we have our post. too funny! at first. cause then i think. okay she's been on my computer, which i'm picky about and theres no need, the girl has her own. two she's trying to chat with people she doesnt know. she doesnt know this "BLOGGER BOT" . now i know that blogger bot is no one but she didnt know that. she is very monitered on her computer and her only contacts in hello are me and helen (and mr. blogger bot) so i think that calls for a little chat.

one of the girls' favorite places to go and play (and it is free! cant beat that!). thanks to kari for the template i used for the collage of pics!

HI BLOGGER

a pic from back in june this summer at a picnic. this layout was inspired by an web challenge at www.designerdigitals.com tape by katie pertiet, fantansitic poloaroid frame by jen wilson

i'm sure i posted a few of these pics sometimes last summer. they were taken when my family went to go visit the traveling vietnam memorial here in our city. it was a great experience. i'm working on a slideshow now using the pics as a birthday present for my dad who is a vietnam vetran.

a few pics from our family reunion on ziven's side of the family. credits: collage template : heather ann melzer, font: rockford by ronna penner, f alpha: ali folendore, a alpha: jen wilson, m alpha: kristie david/shabby princess, i alpha: clara wallace, l alpha: not sure, the name kwick is attached, i'm assuming that is kristie wickland, but unsure, y alpha: kristie david/shabby princess

been stressing over finishing this announcement. here it is! all done! right before she hits a month old! not exactly what i had envisioned but it will do!

credits: pics - Ja'Kya's mama :) , kraft paper - gina cabrera at dde, flowers - kim christenson @ scrap artist, picture frames - ronnie mccray @ scrapbook-elements, font- times new roman

these are all pics from a day in the life of miss kenzie, all shot on her birthday! i used a dip stax template downloaded from shelleyrae and kimlizzy's blog ( http://dipdivas.blogspot.com/ ). LOVING these things, where have i been??? i didnt even know these things existed!! now (just now) lisa decides to tell me that they are all the rage! i'm all over this!!

Thanks for looking! My first layout of ms ja'kya. a few words from the heart. Journaling reads:

credits: alpha- kristie david/shabby princess, fonts- times new roman and susies hand

Oh I have been blessed.
Such a sweet and precious gift.
A great and tremendous responsibility.
So small and fragile.
Helpless and needing.
Just for a moment though.
My baby. My new little mama.
I must kiss you and hold you.
Feed you and rock you.
Only for a moment though.
Soon, you will be laughing and talking.
Playing and walking.
Learning.
And I must teach you and guide you.
Show you and lead you.
But just for a moment though.
You were born my little girl.
Just for a moment though.
Little girls grow into big girls.
And big girls grow into women.
Wives, mothers, teachers to their own children.
But first I must love you and smother you.
Hold you and keep you.
Show you and lead you.
I only have just a moment though.
You start here.
You grow here.
You learn here.
You love here.
But you will leave here.
I must fit in all I can.
Use this time I have.
Grow you and love you.
Teach you and hold you.
God has given you to me.
But I must give you to the world.
You are mine.
My baby girl.
But just for a moment though.
Just for a moment.

for some reason i'm just lovin this pic of miss ja'kya!

ah! life has changed so much in just this past week! miss ja'kya has been born (3 weeks ahead of schedule) and now i have four daughters! even nearly 10 years later its funny to think of myself as someones mother! but now am i not only the mother to one, but to four! everyone pities ziven as the only male in the house but i assure you that he's lovin it up! THANK YOU everyone for all the warm wishes, thoughts, and prayers!!

Baby Ja'Kya has arrived! This layout was a WONDERFUL surprise that I recieved when I got home from my friend helen! thx girl!!!