Ringing in the new year with JOY!

                             

New Years Eve

A method I find that works great for photographing children is to listen to their ideas. Some of them are silly and really don’t work.  But it makes it fun for them and more like a game not a photo shoot.

It was Shannie’s idea to pull out this Christmas garland

Then it was her idea to step out the door into the falling snow…giggle

And because I let a child lead me …I was blessed to get shots like theses and fun memories to last a lifetime J

She also has the greatest idea on where to hang the props when your all done with your fun…lol

Goodbye 2012

You’re a year burned into my heart till Jesus wipes away my every tear.

Silent Sunday



Guess what we had for breakfast?

All you can eat…nothing can beat…

Yes siree SNOW… the breakfast of champions!

And for dessert we had…

It's a dog need dog world.

Sometimes I’m very moved by the bond my dogs have with one another.

In fact sometimes I think I’m just here to open the cans…lol

I have the gift of goodbye

The pain of a sword- thrust through you--
But the rejection will force honesty,
as God reveals who they really are.

These are the words Simeon said to Mary pertaining to what she was going to experience being the Mother of Jesus.

Since Richard went home to the Lord in many ways I can relate to these words.

Major life events have a way of revealing people’s hearts and who is really with you in life.

It also can be a ripple effect to a shift in relationships. And I believe that is an intention of God to move us into our destiny.  Some people just aren’t meant to come for the long haul.

“They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.”  1John 2:19

I don’t think I could say it any better than that.

Wouldn’t it be grand if we could all be as loyal as a doggie J

"When people walk away from you, let them go. Your destiny is never tied to anybody who leaves you, and it doesn't mean that they are bad people. It just means that their part in your story is over."

~T.D. JAKES

Pony rides in the living room

Today is my Christmas with Shannie.  She and the dogs are having pony rides in the living room.

And as you can see having a blast!   

She wanted this stuffed horse so bad when we saw it in a store a few months ago. So I went back to get it... but had to send it to my friend’s house to hide. Then we almost forgot about it...lol

This is why I don't shop early!

Shannie loves stuffed animals more then any child I've ever known.

So this was a great surprise to her. 

(That looks like a horse whisperer in the making to me ...lol)

We are also getting all our snow gear ready for a major snowstorm here on the east coast.  Because you know my little buddy and I are going out to play in it till our nose and toes are froze...giggle!

So this was our joyful...



Christmas Morning...

Wait... first I have to back up a little and share something with you about Christmas Eve.

I spent the evening home alone and for the first time in many years it started to snow. I was standing outside like a little kid letting the snowflakes fall on my face and I heard in my heart….”Richard asked me to send this to you.”  I got so excited for a second but then thought ok that’s just my head….but a few minutes later I got a text from a friend that said “It’s snowing sweets just for you!”  Yep….I bawled like a baby.  I’m really beginning to believe God likes to text….LOL

Well that was my Christmas Eve…this morning I awake to this beautiful sunrise coming through the snowy trees

I’m calling this shot

“Christmas Morning Glory”

So like every good little kiddie on Christmas morning I opened my gifts...

Do you think maybe God is trying to tell me something? lol

All those gift were perfect and I love them….but one gave me so much JOY.  I was told that God handpicked theses gift for me. So at one point as I was opening them I asked God …“Lord if you handpicked these can one please tell me something about the future you have for me.”  Just as I got the words out I opened the gift subscription to "Digital Photo"… again…I bawled like a baby.  When your whole world falls apart I can’t tell you how important it is to hear hope for your future. You hang on to it with every ounce of your being. It becomes you lifeline in the dark. And what a blessing it is to have people that allow God to use them to speak this hope into your life!

My greatest Joys are not things....it's the friendships the love and sometimes even the tears behind the gifts that bring me the greatest

JOY!

So I pray everyone of you are having a Chrismas filled with JOY

But most of all I just want to say...

Happy

Birthday

To

My

Sweet

JESUS!

I love you!

Tell Richard thank you for the snow and that I love him too....Hope to see you both soon....because that is going to be the fullness of  JOY for me!

 Your beloved Anna

My birthday present sucks

Well yesterday was my birthday….

I couldn’t tell blogville because it was Silent Sunday ;)

I was just really trusting God to get me through the day. Knowing it was going to be one of the tough ones. Richard always celebrated my birthday as if it was the biggest holiday of the year. I think he loved me or something ;)

I did have a lovely day with friends and family and I ended it quietly relaxing with the pack watching The Sound of Music on TV…. one of my favorite older movies.

I can’t say tears didn’t come from time to time as memories would flood my mind of past birthdays and some of the ways Richard just celebrated me. (I will always miss that) But all and all …I made it. Because like the woman in this painting that Richard gave me one year. I stay at the feet of Jesus to get through.

I did however do something special for myself.  I got a Birthday/Christmas gift.  A Dyson vacuum… which is a dream for person with a pack of dogs.

I know… Richard was much more extravagant….In fact if he would have given me a vacuum for my birthday and furthermore combined it with my Christmas gift ….I would have slugged him…lol. But I guess I’m more practical. I can't even tell you how excited I was when I found out this thing had an attachment to do fan blades...Richard always did them for me on all the fans in the house... so only God knew how special that would be to me. And anything that makes my life easier right now I’ll take! However I thank God it was the only thing about my Birthday that sucked…lol.  My other gifts did not in the least... and made me feel very blessed and thought of.  Here are the ones I can show you....but the lovely meal my Daughter made me I devoured before I thought to take a picture of it...lol

Oh but I did get a picture of my ice cream cake....yum yum! 

 I was shocked when I got on Google and clicked on it to see which famous person’s birthday I must share that they changed their logo….and the “Happy Birthday Anna” came up. That made me LOL!

Another excited surprises yesterday was dear friends of mine had their baby! She was due Christmas day. But I guess she didn't see the tag that said "do not open till Christmas"...giggle

World meet Grace Lauren!

And

HAPPY BIRTHDAY dear sweet child!

May you never know a painful one all the days of your life.

And may you always be surrounded by people that celebrate you!

Silent Sunday

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

 Yesterday I saw the most brilliant thing …I am now calling "diamond snow". I wish I could have photographed it but I just wasn’t able to.  It was the way the falling snow was sparkling through the spotlight that made it look like diamonds were falling from the sky.  It was so breathtaking! Only thing I was able to capture was a snowflake after it landed.   

So I Googled the words "diamond snow" and found this Japanese video….I have no clue what they are saying but it has glimpses of diamond snow...and they even called it diamond snow!  And their reaction was pretty much the same as mine....I was oohing and awing and snapping pictures at the same time.

           

There are scriptures that use the word snow to describe the Lord….

Daniel 7:9
"As I looked, "thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.

Matthew 28:3
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

Revelation 1:14
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.

Now when I read them I see Diamond Snow J

Not a multitasker

We are just being lazy as Mommy scurries around the house cleaning.  That’s why she didn’t blog today.  Truth is... my Mommy just can’t multitask.  Don’t tell her I told you …I don’t want coal for Christmas.

Hark who goes there?

Last night I heard some commotion going on in the dog yard after I let them out. When I went to see what was up I found Timmy with this blanket stuck on him like boy wonders cape.

Of course the first thing I did was ran and got my camera.

Oh but trust me he had the last laugh.

Because I really did have one heck of a time getting the stinking thing off him… He had himself so spooked that every time I tried to help him he would freak and run …which caused the other dogs to chase the caped wonder around the yard... because they thought it was some new game we were playing.

 Finally I was able to free him… only after running around the muddy, wet, slippery yard like a nitwit. Thank you Jesus the dogs can’t take pictures of me!

I know that was another episode for the hubby.

Picture Perfect

Often when photographing puppies you have to go through many shots like these before you get that …

 ...picture perfect shot your looking for.

I see life very much like this.  As if all the events of our lives are a snapshot….some not so perfect.  But because of Jesus at the end of this (photo shoot) “life”,  we will have the perfect picture J

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.  1 Corinthians 2:9

In the words of one of my dearest friends….

"It’s gonna be better then Christmas!"

Yup...

It's a wonderful "photo shoot" ;)

Gifts of JOY

Everywhere I go lately I’m given the gift of joy….literally!  My amazing silly know my love language friends keep giving me gifts with the word JOY on them.   I can’t tell you how fun this is for me…they find the coolest stuff with the word joy.  So today I thought I would just share the JOY J

This letter came with a few of these gifts of joy. It’s so touching and explains the heart behind some of the gifts... so I just had to share it.

I’m truly a blessed woman to be surrounded with such amazing friends!