Stuff About Us, by Laurel

My sweet children

2010-02-10T05:53:00.000-08:00

So, here's just a general update for you.

Silas is loving Kindergarten! He's getting smarter and more mature every day, it seems.

He informed me that there are three levels in his class: Apples, Oranges and Grapes.

(They're all about the fruits of the spirit at our school.)

They represent the level that they are reading at.

Silas is an apple, which is the highest level. We're so proud.

He will also be testing soon to become a green belt in Tae-kwon-do.

He could have already tested last week, but we didn't take him because it's going

to be $255 for the testing fee, so we'll save up for that one next month. ;)

Eisley is still boycotting dance. I guess it's just not for her.

She doesn't mind going and acts like she loves it, but then we get there

and she'll only participate if her teacher lets her wear a princess costume.

Who would have known I'd end up with such a girly girl?!

However, she's pretty rough as well.

She and Silas wrestle quite a bit and she has begun making a fist and actually punching him.

It doesn't hurt, of course, but it's hilarious to watch.

I'm enjoying the last bit of baby in her.

She said "swap" instead of wasp the other day.

Each time she tries to say "all of them" it comes out as "ov-el-um".

They're both so affectionate and kind.

Silas cuddles with me whenever he gets the chance,

and almost every time I am putting Eisley's clothes on, she'll kiss my face and stroke my hair.

They both will randomly tell us they love us without prompting, and each time it makes me want to

weep right then and there. I just can't explain the feeling.

Bjon and I are doing well also. ;)

We're growing up right along side our children.

All the adults things we dreaded for so long are now routine. It's definitely not as

bad when you're doing all the mundane stuff with your best friend.

Eisley speaks

2010-01-18T06:56:00.001-08:00

I got up yesterday morning and ran up to her to give her kisses all over her neck

and she screamed out, "Yay, you love me!!!"

Date night

2010-01-11T15:53:00.001-08:00

I think about that Seinfeld episode sometimes where George keeps coming up with great comebacks long after he has the chance to use them on an obnoxious co-worker. I think about it because I have similar situations a lot.... like last night, for example.
Here's what happened:
My in-laws unexpectedly took Eisley for the night, and since Bjon had a massage to do, Silas and I had a date night.
We decided to go to go to Laser Chase in Cool Springs. After running around and realizing just how old I really am, Silas asked if we could play some of the arcade games there. We were standing in line for the change machine when Silas stepped over to touch what he thought was a toy police station. However, it was not a toy.... it was a cake. As he pealed his icing covered fingers off the cake, an irate woman sprinted over and said, "What are you doing?" Silas had a shocked look on his face, and I was just becoming aware of what had happened. Silas kept repeating "I didn't know it was a cake" to me and the steaming mother. I could see that he was getting upset, so I told him it was okay but he needed to apologize.
He looked at the lady and said he was sorry with a very sad tone. But, instead of turning to him and seeing the sincerity in his face, she said to him "Maybe you should apologize to my son who's birthday you just ruined."
This was the moment I lost all sympathy for the awful woman. Her son came strolling up a second later to see what had happened and when he saw the cake, he looked completely uninterested. Perhaps this is because the damage to the cake was so minimal that you couldn't even tell. The lady turned to smooth her precious cake and I led Silas to the bathroom to wash the icing off his hands. As we walked he said he was sorry about 5 more times, and each time he said it I wanted to turn around and shove the cake in that lady's face.
I look back and see her son laughing with his friends. He could care less about a smudge on a cake, but his mother used him as ammunition to humiliate my son.
We get to the bathroom and Silas begins to apologize.... again. I look him in the eyes and say, "Silas, when we ask God to forgive us, do we need to ask over and over again? He forgives us the moment we ask, and then it's forgotten. If God forgives this way, then we're supposed to as well... right?" He still won't look at me as we're rinsing his hands. I bring him to the paper towels and dry his hands, then I put my hands on his shoulders and kneel down so that we're face to face. "It was an accident, I know. You said you were sorry and that's all you can do. I'm not mad at you. That woman just wants to make you feel bad, and I don't know why. Okay?" He nods at me and falls into me for a hug.
I know I should take my own advice and forgive this woman. But, the lioness in me that wants to defend her cub is enraged by the emotional trauma she just caused in my son. We walk back to get our change and start playing games, completely ignoring the woman. I overhear her talking about all the types of cakes she can make. This wasn't about her son's birthday at all, it was about her own ego in wanting praise for the cake she had made.
Silas spent the rest of the time there trying desperately to get a stuffed animal out of a machine that he thought Eisley would like. I just stood with him and tried my best to ignore the woman.

We can't protect them from everything and everyone, and that scares me. Even a grown adult with children of her own, will verbally abuse a child if it serves her purposes.
He was mortified by the situation, and I remember feeling like that as a child. He made a mistake, yes, but he apologized and she reacted as a bully.
I'm thankful for these situations because it teaches us both lessons. As much as I wanted to tell that woman off, I knew I had a more important job to be an example to my son.

We put on our coats and walked to the car. Silas was being quiet and had a sad look on his face. I asked what was wrong but knew that he was still upset about the situation. He looked at me and said, "I just really wanted to get a toy for Eisley and that machine took all my money." He had already forgotten about the whole cake thing, and I was still fuming about it.
My son has a beautiful heart. I knew that already, but last night made me realize how fragile it is as well.
I write this partially because I still needed to vent about the whole thing, but also because I'm so proud of my son. He's so silly and can drive me absolutely crazy! But, lately, I have really seen Christ in him. He was so excited about giving to people over Christmas. He even waited until everyone else had opened their gifts before he touched his and said, "I just wanted everyone else to get something first." He has been really taking care of his sister lately, getting up in the morning and making her breakfast. And, I know that he's getting that from his father. Bjon is the most self-less person I've ever known, so Silas has a great example to follow.
So, in a way, I'm grateful to the horrible woman at Laser chase. She made me realize how beautiful my son is.

Catching up!

2010-01-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas was good, very laid back, which is the best thing you can hope for over the holidays.
We did our annual trip to Opryland Hotel and the Ice exhibit in Nashville with the Braun's and Gall's. The Sofka's also joined us later. Brian always does an amazing job with the artwork for Ice and we get to go with him for free, which is nice.
We were able to spend time with all the family, except my dad and Angela. But, they'll be coming here in February and we can't wait!
My mom came in on Christmas day and stayed a week, which pleased us all very much.
New Years was also nice and calm. We spent time with some friends and had dinner with Bjon's family New Year's Day to celebrate Lilly's birthday on the 31st.
Just thought I'd post a few pictures from the day.
I'll blog again soon!

Holidays

2009-12-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

We have been going non-stop lately with the busyness of life.
We're thankful and stressed at the same time.
I have been extremely busy in work for the past few months and it has taught me so much. Not only as a photographer, but as a wife and mother.
I have been stretched creatively and have learned so much about my own style and technical aspects of my work. But, more importantly, I've been learning how to manage my time with my family and the Lord when I feel like I have no time to spare.
I've figured out that even if I am in the middle of editing and I'm 4 shoots behind, I need to stop and listen as Silas explains the intricate design of his latest lego creation.
There is NOTHING more important.
I've discovered that when Bjon assists me with weddings, it can be very romantic,
even though we're working.
We've all adjusted pretty well and we're hopeful that I'll continue to get more work,
even after holiday photos aren't in demand.
Bjon has been home a lot lately, doing projects around the house and waiting for things to pick up at the car lot. He's still doing a lot of massage on the side, so we just take turns watching the kids while the other goes out to jobs. He did an adventure race about a month ago with two of our friends, and they had a blast. Unfortunately, though, it was hard on his body, so he's been slowly trying to get back into climbing and working out again.
Silas LOVES school and we love it as well. He comes home every day talking about his friends, he shows me his art, and he tells me about the things they learned about the Lord. What could be better?!
He's still doing Tae-kwon-do and is testing for his yellow belt tomorrow!
He's so incredibly smart, already reading. We just couldn't be prouder.
Eisley is enjoying her alone time with us when Silas is at school. She's a little addicted to movies, though, so we try to keep her occupied elsewhere. She's become obsessed with Littlest Pet Shops lately and it's been fun to watch her as she creates stories for them and makes them interact.
She really likes dance now, although she doesn't do much dancing. She mostly observes but she will participate if props are given for them to dance with. Then she'll come bouncing out of class and run up to me saying, "I'm such a good dancer!"
Through all the craziness, we did manage to get some family photos taken.
Here is one that our dear friend, Josh Reeder, took of us.
This is our Christmas card this year.

Birthdays

2009-11-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

Silas is now 6 and Eisley is 3. Where did my babies go?
We had a joint birthday party for them on Silas's birthday, which confused Eisley very much. On her actual birthday we started singing to her and she said, "no I already had a birthday". But, she enjoyed the attention.
Here are the annual pictures from their birthdays.

Eisley is finally dancing!

2009-10-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

Eisley got very excited yesterday because her Papa came with us to dance class. They got to dress up in their Halloween costumes and put on a small show for the parents. She really participated and danced with her friend in the class. We were so proud of her!

Eisley's bathroom quirks

2009-10-18T17:54:00.001-07:00

Eisley has begun to exhibit some very strange preferences when it comes to going to the bathroom.
Of course, I'm just happy that she's potty trained, so I don't want to question her motives at this point, but I did think it was odd enough to share with everyone.
Most recently she has decided that her bathroom in the hall is not as fun to potty in as our bathroom in the master bedroom. She insists upon using our bathroom. She even had an accident the other day because she had to go so badly, but bypassed the hall bathroom in favor of our bathroom and ended up peeing on our bedroom floor.
She does this at the YMCA as well. We'll enter the bathroom there and she'll run down the row of stalls yelling, "not that one, not that one, not that one..." until she reaches the handicapped stall, where she states, "this one!" and pushes open the door.
We noticed her first quirk shortly after she was potty trained. She will not poop in the toilet as long as we're in the room. She'll sit down and immediately say, "close the door". Then we must exit the bathroom and shut the door or she will get quite aggravated. This even applies at public restrooms where I have to stand outside her stall and wait until she calls for me.
She's certainly asserting her opinions these days!

New hobbies

2009-09-14T19:58:00.001-07:00

With the beginning of the school year also came a couple of other new beginnings.
Eisley started ballet classes last Wednesday!

She's taking at Ann Carroll School of Dance, where Leah and I attended classes and were part of the company for most of our adolescence. I was way more excited about it than she was but I thought she'd warm up to the idea by the time we got there. Nope! She cried the entire time. But, I am not defeated. She will keep going until the crying stops. :)
Also, Silas started Taekwondo lessons! We have tried soccer and T-ball in years past, but thought it was time for a more organized and disciplined sport and he loves it! He already got a green stripe on his white belt. Ok, I'm not totally sure what that means, but I think it means he's getting close to a yellow belt. I didn't have a chance to get a picture yet, but I'll post one soon.

Other than that, we're just getting used to Silas being gone 40 hours a week. It kind of sucks, but the kids seem to enjoy each other more when they see each other. Sundays are now our favorite days because we generally do absolutely nothing when we get home from church. We just hang out at the house together. It's fabulous!

Kindergarten!!

2009-08-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Silas started Kindergarten last week at Grace Christian Academy, the school our church just started. He's enjoying it, so far, but he's having a hard time adjusting to the 5-days-a-week schedule. We're confident that he'll get used to it soon enough. We're so proud of him and all that he's learning. He's such a big kid now, we're so amazed at the things he says.
This is him the very first day.

And, this is him, the second day when he had his uniform.

Catching up

2009-08-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in a while so I have a few things to catch up on. Sad things first. My sweet Great-Grandmother passed away last night. It is bitter-sweet because I know she's with her Father now, not to mention most of her relatives. But, her complete genuine kindness will be missed in our family. I've never known someone so completely good and beautiful as she was. She was 98 years old.

On a different note....
Bjon and I had our 8th wedding anniversary last week. I can't even begin to describe the joy that surrounds our marriage. I didn't have high hopes of finding the love of my life when I was growing up. I was pretty convinced that you could pick anyone to marry and it would be hard no matter what. As the years have passed, though, I have been persuaded to believe that God does design some people for each other. I was blessed enough to have been given a marriage with a man who seems to have been made specifically with our marriage in mind. I'm overwhelmed and humbled to see God's love for me portrayed in the gift of my husband.

I'll write more in a day or two about Silas's first day of Kindergarten! :)

New Website

2009-07-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

I have a new website for my photography business. Go check it out :
www.eilas.com

Potty Training is Over!!!!!!!

2009-07-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

It seems like I have a lot of good news lately. :)
Eisley is finally telling us every time she needs to go to the bathroom!
She still has the wear pull-ups at night, but those days will be over soon enough.
Also, she needs her privacy if she's going number 2, but that's fine with me.
Yay!!!!

Our bathroom is finished!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

We started remodeling our "master bathroom" in January. I put that in quotations because it was a pitiful excuse for a bathroom and was definitely the room that needed the most attention in our home. We sacrificed by knocking out three closets in the hall, our bedroom and in the old bathroom in order to extend the bathroom by 3 feet. Doesn't sound like much, I know, but it made a world of difference.
Bjon did almost all the work by himself. I'm so proud of him. I think he missed his calling as an architect or interior designer because everything he does looks amazing!
Anyway... i'm extremely happy. I don't deal well with construction in my home and this was a long process of tools laying around my bedroom and drywall dust floating all over the house. Now I'm gonna go clean my house!
By the way, Eisley is telling us when she needs to go potty now! Yay!!
Maybe all this talk about bathrooms inspired her?

Our new baby

2009-06-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

Last year we took care of Dion and Christen's dog Chaucer for the entire year while they were out of the country. We got so used to having a dog around that when it was time for her to go home, it felt weird. In all honesty, I'm probably the only one who truly missed her, but Silas is the one who asked if we could get a dog. So, after a few months of searching on Petfinder.com, we finally found a dog that seems perfect for our family.
She's a Schnauzer mixed with some kind of terrier. She's only about 15 pounds, but she's taller than she looks. She cuddles with us wherever we sit, doesn't bark, doesn't shed and is learning tricks very quickly. We feel very lucky to have her!

Kindergarten!

2009-06-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

Our little man is growing up so fast that we can barely keep up. He lost his first tooth a couple of weeks ago, he's become an expert swimmer, he gets up in the morning and makes his own breakfast, and soon he'll be entering Kindergarten.
Choosing his school was a much harder decision than I had anticipated. I was home-schooled and later put into a private school. Whereas, Bjon was in public schools his entire life. Between the two of us, we were able to compare our experiences and figure out what we want for our kids.
Financially, though, we came across quite a few obstacles. We had decided to put him in a home-school supplement at a local church that met twice a week. It was inexpensive and covered most subjects, while giving him a chance to interact with other kids. However, the church has been dealing with a split lately and there are some issues that were brought to my attention that just didn't sit right with me. So, we've decided..... Grace Christian Academy.
This is a brand new school that our church (Grace Chapel) is beginning this year. We're very excited to have him brought up in school at our church home. We love our church and the hearts of the people there, so we're very grateful that his first year in a week-long school will be in a place he's already comfortable with.
Please pray for all of us as we approach this transition. Financially, we'll make it work and fully trust the Lord to provide as He always does. I'm just worried about spending that much time away from him. I know he'll get used to it and everything will fall into place, but I've never spent that much time away from him in one week and it makes me a little sad.
Besides, what am I going to do with Eisley for all that time? :)

Florida Vacation

2009-06-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a week in Florida with our friends. The Gall's and the Braun's both have family in Bradenton, FL, so we tagged along last year as they visited and decided to do the same thing this year. We rented a house on Anna Maria Island and everyone came to our place frequently to go to the beach and play games when the kids went to bed. We had a great time, but are happy to be home also.

Eisley's summer hair cut!

2009-04-25T15:43:00.001-07:00

Easter

2009-04-14T15:54:00.000-07:00

We went to church Easter morning, but Bjon and I had to work in the nursery so we didn't get to hear the service. Oh, well... we know how wonderful our savior is and we're reminded of it every day with the amazing blessings that surround our lives.
After church we went to my paternal Grandfather's house in Franklin. He just finished rebuilding his home after it burned down 4 years ago. It is simply amazing. I'm going to take some bridal portraits their soon for a wedding I'm shooting in July.
Grandpa Bill was kind enough to hide some eggs in the house for the kids and they loved searching for them.
We finished the day with our dear friends, the Gall's, and had an egg hunt here at our house for our kids and their son Tristan.
Anyway, here are some pictures of the day!

2009-04-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Out of the mouths of babes

2009-04-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

Me: "Ok, kids, let's go to the Y."

Silas: "Aww, I don't want to go to the Y."

Me: "I'm sorry, but I need to work out."

Silas: "But you don't look fat."

It's park weather again!

2009-04-02T13:23:00.001-07:00

Updates

2009-03-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

Well, we're constantly laughing at our children these days.
Silas has suddenly become a kid, definitely not a toddler in any way. In fact, he got mad at me the other day because I said his shoe size was a "toddler 11". He's very grown up as you can tell. His new favorite word is "responsible". Yesterday he was getting upset with Eisley for being in his room. When I asked him why he wanted her out he said, "Because, it's my room and I'm responsible for it if it gets messy."
We're potty training Eisley. It's going... ok. I remember it took two weeks to train Silas and he never even had to wear pull-ups at night. Not the case with Eisley. Every time I take her to the bathroom she yells "NO POTTY!" But, she almost always goes when I put her there. It was getting pretty frustrating until God spoke to me one day and said, "You know, you can pray about this stuff too." Maybe not in those words, but that's what I've been doing and things have gotten easier.
We sit back and watch the two of them and just love what we see. They're crazy, loud, argumentative, sneaky, whiny, and messy. But, most of the time they're loving, smart, happy, funny, obedient, very smart, beautiful, content, kind, thoughtful, cuddly, they love Jesus, and did I mention how smart they are?

Eisley's first hair cut

2009-03-12T09:15:00.001-07:00

Drying Mickey's hair!

And the finished product! Not much of a haircut, but significant nonetheless!

Eisley and mama alone one day

2009-03-09T18:03:00.001-07:00

It's a big mess, but he's doing a fabulous job so far!! Can't wait till it's done!

Silas went to spend the night with Oma and Opa this weekend. Bjon was working on our bathroom, so Eisley and I played outside a lot because the weather was so nice!

Interview with Silas

2009-03-04T11:36:00.001-08:00

1. What is something mom always says to you?
"I love you"

2. What makes mom happy?
"When I hug you"

3. What makes mom sad?
"When Eisley doesn't give you a kiss"

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
"When you dance funny"

5. What was your mom like as a child?
"I think you always wanted to be funny"

6. How old is your mom?
"61"

7. How tall is your mom?
"5 inches"

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
"Hug Papa"

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
"Usually go to the YMCA"

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
"Sports"

11. What is your mom really good at?
"playing games with me"

12. What is your mom not very good at?
"that Lego memory game"

13. What does your mom do for a job?
"take pictures"

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
"sushi"

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
"you look pretty"

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
"Mickey Mouse"

17. What do you and your mom do together?
"play games"

18. How are you and your mom the same?
"Our eyes"

19. How are you and your mom different?
"You have different colored hair"

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
"because you always hug and kiss me"

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
"that he's your husband"

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
"stores"

Tattoo number 3

2009-03-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves." ~Matthew 10:16
I wanted to get a tattoo that represented my two children. I decided I wanted doves, so I had my friend Brian Gall, who is an amazing illustrator, draw two doves for my tattoo. The one above is Silas, protecting Eisley below.

Star Wars!

2009-03-01T12:28:00.001-08:00

Just a day at home with the kids. Eisley wants to be just like Silas!

Leah's Wedding

2009-02-23T13:02:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pictures I took of our lovely family at my sister's wedding this past weekend.

Appropriately named, Eisley EVE!

2009-02-23T09:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, here are two of my favorite stories of the past two months.

Silas and Eisley were sitting at the dinner table eating. They began to pick on each other and I look over and see Eisley throw a piece of food at Silas and say,
"Take that, boy!"

Eisley and Silas spent the night with Oma and Opa last weekend. Oma keeps a bowl of chocolates in the living room and has told the kids, repeatedly, that they can't touch it. Oma couldn't find Eisley and went into the living room and saw three candy wrappers on the table, but Eisley was nowhere to be found. Lilly searched upstairs before heading downstairs where she looked behind the bar in the corner of the room where Eisley sat with the 1 remaining chocolate in her hand, and two already in her tummy... and on her mouth.
She had hidden as far away as she could and devoured the forbidden chocolate.

If that's not a clear picture of the Fall, then I don't know what is.

The kids

2009-01-23T09:49:00.001-08:00

Just a few more pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Just thinking

2008-12-31T13:31:00.000-08:00

I get in these moods sometimes where I don't know if how I'm living is doing any good. Scratch that - I don't know if my life will be worth talking about once I'm gone. I become a self-pity monster and decide that I'm boring and pointless. I get this way when I compare myself to others.
There is one photographer in particular that I compare myself to. Not for our photography, so much, but our opportunities. I reluctantly look at his blog and become more and more depressed as I scroll down and see the adventurous life he lives.
Traveling almost constantly, with happy friends and a seemingly wonderful marriage. The beautiful images he captures and the success of his business doing what he loves.
I snapped out of it midway through the website and click out of the screen, back to my reality. What I am left with is a question. "Is that what I want? Do I want that life?"
Immediately I am comforted by the answer my heart gives back to me.
No.
I wouldn't trade my life for that one... not for any other life I've ever dreamed of.
This may not be where I envisioned I would be at the age of 27, but that's only because I didn't know what I really needed. If I got to choose where I'd be, then that's the life I would have chosen. I may have been doing all the things I wanted to do, but I know I would not be the person I needed to be. My life, my heart, and most importantly, my relationship with the Lord changed so much for the better when Silas was born. No amount of traveling or taking award-winning pictures could have taught me what I know as a result of being a mom.
Life is only worth living if you give it to Christ.
Now, here I sit. 27 years old. A wife. A mom. And, yes, a photographer... to local families.
I have a husband that I never could have dreamed into existence. He's exceeded all my expectations, and I'm truly grateful for him above all my blessings. My children bring challenges, and joy... almost in the same minute. They're greater than any legacy I could create.
I have amazing friends that I can bare my soul to and pray with, and a life-long best friend who's seen the best and worst of me.
For all these things, I feel... indescribable.
For all the challenges we face with money and sickness and petty problems, my life is so beautifully blessed.
And one day, I'll travel. ;)

DePriest Christmas

2008-12-26T08:48:00.001-08:00

We spent Christmas day at our house this year with my side of the family. Both of my grandfather's were able to come. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a group shot, but it would've been hard in my small house anyway!

Pankratz Christmas

2008-12-26T08:35:00.001-08:00

We always spend Christmas Eve at Oma and Opa's house. This year we had to celebrate without Bjon's brother Dion and his wife Christen since they are in Germany at a discipleship training school for YWAM. We missed them, but we're proud of what they're doing. So, we blew up a picture of them so that they'd be there in spirit.

Christmas decorating

2008-12-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

We got our tree today! We spent a lot of the day decorating. After dinner we had hot chocolate, made cookies, decorated the christmas tree and listened to christmas music, all with a fire going in the fireplace. I love this time of year!

Eisley's last 2 years

2008-11-16T18:58:00.001-08:00

Newborn

One year old

Two years old

Silas's last 5 years

2008-11-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

One year old

Two years old

Three years old

Four years old

Five years old

Family pictures

2008-11-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

My amazing and wonderful friend Eden took these of our family!

Halloween

2008-11-02T04:41:00.000-08:00

Pumpkinfest!

2008-10-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

Funny Silas

2008-10-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

Last night on the way home from Walden Farm,
Silas asked me a question.
"Mama," he said "I have a word for you about heaven."
I almost didn't correct him because I thought
maybe God really was speaking through him.
But, the grammatical police officer that I am came out.
"You mean you have a question for me?" I asked.
"Yes, I have a question for you." he said.
"When we get to heaven, will we have boogers?"

Ok, maybe God wasn't speaking through him, but it was one for the memory books!

Walden Farm

2008-10-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

We went to get pumpkins at Walden Farm today with our best friends.

Beautiful children

2008-10-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

Eisley is potty training!

Great quote

2008-10-20T16:06:00.001-07:00

“We should never be angry or feel hostility because we disagree. We should never lose the distinction between God’s kingdom and the kingdoms of this world. We should also remember that no politician can single-handedly produce supernatural social results. Most importantly, we should never elevate any candidate to messianic status, from any party. There is only one God.” ~Andrew Jackson

So proud!

2008-10-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

I was watching "All Dogs Go To Heaven" with Silas the other night and a scene came on that depicted hell. Silas began asking questions about heaven and hell and if it's really that scary.
I told him that it's much worse than that, but he didn't have to worry about it because all he had to do was ask Jesus into his heart and he'd go to heaven. His reply was, "oh, I already did that."
I was a bit taken back, this is really the first time I had talked about it with him. "When?" I asked. "I did it the other day at school during devotions."
I asked him if they were talking about asking Jesus in your heart, or if someone had helped him. He said they weren't talking about it, he just felt like he should, so he asked all by himself.
I almost cried.

Happy Birthday Great-great Gram!

2008-10-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

My beautiful great-grandmother turned 98 yesterday!
We took a trip up to Clarksville to see her and she and my aunt made us a large lunch that they'd been cooking all morning. Yes, she's still cooking, sewing, going to church and taking care of whoever comes to visit her.
She's an amazing woman with an incredible life story filled with loss, but she remains so graceful and such a joy to be around. She is truly a picture of who we are meant to be in Christ.
I'm proud to be in her family line.
I'm proud that my children know their great-great grandmother!

Watching Peep online before bed

2008-10-10T18:47:00.001-07:00

My favorite dress of Eisley's.

2008-10-08T11:51:00.001-07:00

Eisley has been talking like crazy! Bjon got out of our car one day when I was driving and Eisley said, "Papa coming soon?". I almost cried.
She's counting to ten, except for the occasional absence of 7.
She repeats just about every word we say, and tells on Silas if he hurts her.
Silas is so proud of her (except for the tattling part). He tells everyone we know about the new things she's doing. I can't imagine what he'd be like if we had never had her. Bored, I imagine.

Grace Chapel

2008-10-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.gracechapel.net/teaching/
Our pastor has done a series for the last few weeks on understanding the times. It is a scary, but powerful reality that he puts in front of us and forces us to recognize. I feel so blessed to be a part of this church. His unwavering conviction in telling the truth, whatever the cost, has brought me to a better understanding of who I am in Christ. I feel that if every pastor displayed his passion and love for God's people, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today in this country. We need the church to step up and speak the truth, in love, to raise awareness of who we are meant to be as the body of Christ. We can't settle for comfortable Christianity.
That being said, I think it's important for everyone to hear the messages he's given. I always feel an urgency when I leave church that I have to share what he's said with everyone I know. I suppose that's a good thing!

Plugging my business!

2008-10-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

We're praying for a lot of friends today. Sickness and financial crisis surround those we love.
Us, we're doing just fine. Had a good month at the car lot in September despite the dodgy economy. I've been getting a good amount of photo work and praying for more.
Just in case you didn't know, my website is
www.eilas.com
and I have a flickr site that I can frequently update at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10030844@N03/
Anyway, we're feeling pretty blessed and hope that things improve with the people around us.
If there is any other prayer request you'd like to add to our list, feel free to do so as a comment.
Love you all!

2008-09-26T11:15:00.001-07:00

Aren't they the most wonderful children in the world?!
I should probably just start addressing these posts "to Mom" since she's probably the only one who'll be checking this anyway. Your grandchildren love you, Gram!

September 2008

2008-09-20T13:50:00.001-07:00

Our days are spent playing in the yard or the park.

Silas in the hammock playing with the ipod.

On the tire swing with Bella.

For all who are interested.

2008-09-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

I suppose it's easier to just click another link on the computer
in order to keep up with those we love. That's what the world has come to. ;)
Well, here's another bookmark for you to add, if you so desire. Our family blog! We don't do much, or have very interesting thoughts, but I do take a lot of pictures, so that's what will fill these pages. We'll keep you updated on the funny things our children say, the projects that Bjon is busying himself with, and the status of those around us who need your prayers or praises.
Thank you for any amount of time you spend on this site, we like to think we're important enough to catch up with occasionally. Love you all!