The Way I See You: Part Duex

Do you want to know one thing I will NEVER understand about my boys?

Their love of video games.

Seriously, it would be a form of torture to me to be stuck in a room playing video games all day. (Though as a kid I WAS able to save the princess on super mario bros playing upside down with one hand...that is actually a true story.)

And in our house, I'm the first to admit we have a bit of a problem at times. This is the reality of how I see my boys, more often than I'd like. It's scary how quickly they get addicted.


It goes something like this. I'm exhausted from the day and my eye is twitching and I just want to rest on my bed for one minute. Or check my email.

Boy: "Mom! Can I shoot your sewing needles out of my nerf gun?"

Me: "NO!"

Boy: "Well, then can I play my dsi?"

Me: "Um...well...I guess so...", with an uneasy feeling that once again I was beaten.



On a side note, Finn is wearing a vintage polyester shirt that I bought off ebay a while ago. I love polyester shirts on certain boys--Ya know. Like the emo or hippie types.  I would not attempt to put one on a buff football player.

Finally John put his foot down on our wee addicts and came up with some rules: They can play their dsi for 1.5 hours on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. The other days of the week are completely off limits. It just makes it simpler for John and I to remember and enforce.


And on those days when they can play(Tues, Fri, Sat), they are allowed to earn half an hour extra if they read for one hour. But that's it. Just half an hour extra.


Finn is trying to negotiate. He asked me today, "If I read for 15 minutes, can I play my dsi for 7 minutes and 30 seconds?".

Overall our little system is working out ok...though there are days when we all whine and cry about the rules and they have gone over on their times...and truth be told, there are days when I am on my computer too much...eeek.

Even Ollie and Twain have little gameboys that they play with every once in a while. But mainly, the way I see them these days is with their tiny stuffed animals. It warms my heart.


Meet Jay, the elephant. He was Twain's Easter present. We heart him.

Twain's poncho is from Target, by Genuine Kids. I just had to buy some for my hippie B* models. 

*Finn and Ollie are alike and are the "A" models. Calvin and Twain look alike and are the "B" models. 

My sister's girls love these tiny pets too. They also have Jay, and he's pretty popular in their household. I think he rules the roost and can be quite the unreasonable tyrant at times.


Jay + Tabby.


If I had a nickel for every time these animals were lost. It's worse than loosing binkies when they were babies.








Watching sheep. For reasons I don't understand, it's my dream one day for my boys to play in a field with some sheep.

But this is as close as we could get for now. A warning sign read something like "Beware of electric wires". I interpreted it as "Back off people, lest you be shocked and die".

I'll have to make friends with a shepherd.






Hop on over to Kate&Kuby's blog to see the 2nd installment of "The Way I see You". It's a short 4 week mini series, inspired by You are My Wild.

Happy Friday!

lately i'm...

1. ...loving tights + toms(desert wedge variety)
i almost always want to wear a dress in the spring.
i'm almost always too cold to wear one. tricksy unpredictable weather.
so i went to target and bought some tights!
happy day! the things that excite me.

2. ...kinda addicted to The Voice.

it's my favorite new show.

but when the judges don't turn around for a sweet contestant...


this is my face. stress people.

i just feel so bad for the person. but hey. they still sound better than me. so.

and i would totally pick adam levine as my voice couch/judge.
because of all his stamps(my boys used to call tattoos stamps).
well and because he's nice to the geeks.

3. ...collaborating with Lorieloo on a secret present for a special someone. she's in charge of the sewing, i'm in charge of the embroidering. hence, i'm gonna be bound to my couch for a few days, fyi.


a few helpers, including mouse and Tabby.


these boys are fascinated by every little thing i do. they follow me around everywhere. 2 obsessive little boyfriends.


4. ...itching to go on a trip somewhere. maybe even outside the contiguous united states.
this is kind of a HUGE departure from my norm.
i'm usually such a homebody hobbit--completely content in my little shire.
i don't know what has come over me.
but even hobbits have adventures every now and then.

i used to mock the thought of flying over any ocean for fear of plummeting to my death in an icy cold sea surrounded by sharks. besides. one of my last flights involved a nose-dive landing wherein i was completely terrified and had to be consoled by a random 5 year old boy. it's a true story. 
and then there was 9/11.
and don't get me started on turbulence. hey. fears can be quite irrational. my SIL is deathly askeeered of spiders.
any time my friends would go to hawaii or europe, i was like "how exciting" when really i was thinking "see ya suckers".

but none of that seems so scary anymore.
have you ever been out of the country? i've been to mexico. yay me.

5. ...still a tad scissor shy.

i got 1/4 inch of my hair chopped off yesterday.
doesn't sound like much but it feels SO MUCH better.

6. ...studying the book of malachi in precepts.

the priest are getting rebuked for bringing sick/lame/blemished/stolen animals for the sacrifice.

"but cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord,
for I am a great King", says the Lord of hosts. 

Malachi 1:14

any time we don't bring God our best, it shows that we don't think very highly of God. the speaker gave an analogy. 

he found some left over flowers from a funeral at the church and brought them home to his wife. he didn't lie about the flowers. he told her exactly where they came from. needless to say...his wife was not too impressed. ha.

God deserves our best worship, not our leftovers.

you know what helps me when i start to give people my best attention instead of God?

or when i start to get sucked into the world and the excitement of whatever is going on...be it social media or real life?

or when i'm just off track doing my own thing?

i sit and imagine what God looks like on His throne. and i imagine what it's going to look like when i see His face. and i realize that i will regret selling out here on earth. and i know i will wish i gave my ALL to God here when i had the chance. 

in my imaginings, aragorn, from lord of the rings, comes to mind. bear with me a sec. 

you must know. aragorn is pretty much one of the coolest characters of all time, IMO(in my opinion). 

when he goes into a battle, fearlessly swinging his sword, ready to die for his people...there is just not a more noble character i can think of.

while faramir, his friend is dying, he says to aragorn, "i would have followed you, my brother, my captain...my king". and aragorn weeps for him.

such a cool picture. because that is precisely the type of king i follow...except infinitely greater and more beautiful beyond description.

who is this King of glory?

the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle Psalms 24:8 

if only i could fully grasp that fact here on earth. but that is what faith is for.

now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see

hebrews 11:1

and so i press on. wherever i am. in my hobbit hole or somewhere more grand. it makes no difference. in facts, some days i long to disappear in a hole for a bit, just to ground myself and remind myself that my King is all that matters. 

The Way I See You: Part 1

The other day my bloggy friend from Kate&Kuby asked if I would join her new mini series. Since she's so totally sweet and lovable, I could not refuse! Thanks for letting me play along. Take it away Kate!

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Today starts a new mini series on this blog. The Way I See You will be taking place here every Friday for the next four weeks. It's a collaboration and project of a group of Momma Bloggers vowing to capture our kids the way we see them. 100% of the inspiration behind this idea comes from the site You Are My Wild. I urge you to check out that site and follow all of the photographers listed. Such talent!

Without further ado, here's The Way I See You week one. I love that each of these momma's are the only ones who know the story or meaning behind each photo. 

 Kerubo Mama

 Little Band of Brothers

 Pillow Thought

 The Anderson Crew

After His Smile

 Kate&Kuby

The Wiegands

Want to join along? Use the hashtag #thewayiseeyouchallenge on Instagram. Who knows, maybe it will get featured next Friday right here! Don't have kids? Who cares, document the ones you love the way you see them:) Also, check out #youaremywild hashtags.

on what i'm really thinking.

hi.
just my overly introspective self here today.

i was driving ollie to preschool yesterday and completely missed my turn. i was clear down to the freeway before i even noticed.

"what is wrong with me?" i muttered.

i was distracted. i mean, obviously. normally i'm so focused.

distracted by so many thoughts.
good, great and grand thoughts in one second.
and some not-so-good thoughts.
and some downright wicked thoughts just moments later.
one after another after another. i tried to ward them off but they kept on coming.

golly just a week ago i came through a trial and felt like i was on the top of the world with God.

and now? a storm cloud was starting to settle over me and I could just feel myself sliding into a black pit in my mind. i didn't know it was possible to commit so many sins in such a short amount of time all in my head. but it's possible. it's sucky how much we suck.

of course in my jesus calling devo that day i just so happen to read the following verse.

...and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinth 15:5

i know i need to work on that. because:

he that has no rule over his spirit is like a city that is broken down. Proverbs 25:28

later that day i was driving to the other side of town, towards a little "pocket" within our community...wherein lies the largest portion of homeless population in our entire town.

as soon as i get off the fwy, i lock my doors. finn and calvin are with me on our weekly trek to the after school reading program.

"hola davi, como estas???!!!" i'm enthusiastically greeted by pastor cesar, as i walk in the door. we love him.

he speaks spanish as his primary language and english as his second language. he's determined that i will speak spanish fluently one day. should i tell him i can't roll my rrrrr's?

"hola pastor cesar! estoy aci aci." meaning so/so. he laughs and correct me with "mas o menos". meaning more or less.

definitely menos.

pastor cesar and his wife maria are my mentors and heroes. when i'm with them, all my trivial worries fade away.

{i remember the night of the elections. 

president obama just won his second term.

some republicans were ticked.

some democrats were gloating.

i sat on the couch at my friend's house listening to pastor cesar emphatically and zealously tell us his plans to reform his little part of town: 

by getting us involved.

but more importantly by getting the impoverished people of his community excited and involved.

and it hits me:

it doesn't really matter who is in the white house.

the only way people are going to effect change is through people like pastor cesar. 

and by ordinary people like you and me seeing their vision and joining them. 

like david platt said. we are plan A. there is no plan B. 

one person at a time reaching out and saving another person by reaching their heart for Christ. and then the life transformation will follow. end of political rant.} 

sometimes at the reading program, we read.

but it's what happens in the margins that fascinates me.

i normally gravitate toward the boys there because i know how to talk ninjago and star wars.
i also do well with the younger girls because i adore rapunzel.

but the older tween girls? they make me nervous.

{i taught high school for one year and then retired. no lie. i was 21. with no credential or student teaching. do they even let you do that anymore?
anyway. my high school girls were pills. they would never stop talking and I was like "hush" and they were like "whatevs" and would roll their eyes at me. and i would go home and cry. baha. i was lame back then. and hopelessly idealistic. i thought i was going to waltz in and change their world in one fell swoop.}

so yesterday when pastor cesar asked me to stay behind with Maria and chat with 3 of the older girls, i felt completely awk. maria took out a devotional book and just wanted us to spend some time talking with them.

because in that little 'pocket' community, there is a higher rate of teen pregnancies than the other parts of this town. i've repeatedly seen babies holding babies. it breaks my heart. the cycle of poverty is way harsh.

these 3 girls sat looking at me with expectant eyes. and something in me snapped and i no longer cared how stupid i sounded. desperate times call for desperate measures. i just had to tell them, to save their lives:

"don't get pregnant"
"wait til you are married"
"you could get AIDS. you could die!"

one of the {beautiful} girls looked at me and said "what? you could get AIDS from doing that? i had no idea!" and she covered her mouth in horror.

(and now we are for some reason resuming capitals)

Poor thing. She has no mother. Her father is raising 3 kids by himself. Of course she wouldn't know these things.

We talked some more about God's amazing plan for their lives and how things were supposed to go. And they listened with wide eyes.
Like really listened. And asked questions and were reallllly interested.

It was really cool.

I think these girls need me.

And I need them.

I had no idea that day what God was up to. That he would let me be part of his awesome plan 'A' that day to help transform the community in a small way...and maybe one less girl will get pregnant.

But God did let me be part of His plan. He's so good to me even on the day when I was sinning right and left and failing Him in every conceivable way. It's only by His grace.

That drive home, my brain was completely cleared of distractions. No more storm clouds.
This little community sure has a way of putting things into perspective for me. I think they help me more than I help them.

(and back to no caps)

just a little peek into my brain today. sorry if it was messy. just so tired of pretending to be perfect all the time.

on a separate note, i just read in yahoo news that brides are now wearing black dresses. what do you think of that? black is actually one of my colors. my dad says so. 

anna joy photo workshop

There's this photog girl, named Anna Joy. And she's pretty much awesome. I think she's been shooting weddings since she was 16 or 17.  She held a photo workshop this weekend in Carpinteria and so I jumped at the chance to attend.

And my boys jumped at the chance to tag along and go to the beach while I got all studious. Anna arranged for us to meet up at the Lucky Llama coffee shop. My car full of boys rolled up in style. Right away, Tweeds had to whiz, so there was no way to even pretend I was glamourous.

At the coffee shop we chatted. I was afraid I would pull a Monica Geller. Did you see the Friend's episode where Phoebe took a literature class and Monica wouldn't stop raising her hand? Yah...sometimes I talk too much. Thankfully there was another girl equally inquisitive and hopefully we balanced each other out:)

Then Anna gave the best advice of the day: Her goal is not to compete to have the biggest and best website of awesome photos. Her goal is to bless people. I LOVE that, and share her thoughts exactly. It's not about us. It's about Jesus. And she prays before her shoots.
Anna with boyfriend Michael. He came along to video record us making fools of ourselves...errr...being completely profesh. Well, at least Anna was completely amazing.

It was bright out. Normally best lighting is around an hour or so before the sun sets. We started shooting around 3:30 pm, which was early, since the sun set around 6:45 that day. I was excited to see Anna work during these less than optimal lighting conditions.

When we got to the site, Anna went over camera settings. She shoots way differently than I do...which is why I signed up. She shoots at a much lower aperture than I'm used to for family shots. So I was challenged to try something totally different.

I would have been completely awk with all these cameras in my face.

(above photo by Anna's sidekick, Marina Godinez)

But not this laid back, super natural family. Meet Jared, Stacie and baby Levi. Anna had us all taking turns directing the shoot. Because of how much light we had that day, we all got to take a ton of pics. Here is a little sampling!


For reals, baby Levi barely made a peep the entire time. It was unreal. My babies were ALWAYS squawking and running away. I mean, they still run away.














Around half way through the shoot, we had a very unexpected visitor. Look close.

What would you have done if a SNAKE invaded your site? Lost your head? Wet your pants? This type of snake intrusion has NEVER happened to me before.

Michael came to the rescue and relocated our unwanted guest. But first, he played with it...all the while Anna kept pleading "I need you alive Micheal", lol. Boys.

But I'm not gonna lie. This snake was my big excitement of the day. With my camera in hand, I somehow think I'm invincible.  A train could be coming at me and I won't move til I get what I want. (Don't worry mom, I'm completely safe).

Still a little bright out for me but I love this little face.












Anna likes to shoot top views like this.

Back at her house, Anna showed us her workflow and editing techniques in lightroom.


She does very minimal editing and keeps things as natural as possible, which I appreciated. So in honor of that, all these photos posted here today had fairly limited lightroom editing.


I had the most fun that day, and if you ever get the chance of going to a workshop, I'd highly recommend it. Makes you get out of your box and think about things differently. I heart you Anna Joy!