Sun Kissed

As a photographer, there is a lot to know about cameras, lenses, aperture, ISO and timing. Intimate knowledge of these details is important when getting the perfect shot.

And then sometimes, you just get lucky and get the perfect shot.

I'm Being Watched.

Someone in my family is hilarious. This is what greeted me this morning in the downstairs bathroom.

The Break Up

Dear Saran Wrap,

Dude! What is going ON? Have you forgotten who you ARE?

You run with a crowd of illustrious brand names! Like Band-Aid to adhesive bandages, Coke to Cola, Keds to canvas white tennis shoes with no arch support, you are this to the world of plastic wrap. Kleenex has nothing on you in their facial tissue catagory. Ziploc only wishes it had the hold on plastic resealable sandwich bags like you have in the family of cling wrap.

I have an expectation of epic greatness when I go to use you. The heavens should open up when I pull the cardboard tab to open your brand new box and angels should sing about your amazing ability to create an airtight seal on whatever you touch.

Instead, what do I get? I get a blade on your box that can't cut you. (You are PLASTIC WRAP, not Kevlar Wrap! Kevlar-another great brand name for fabric that renders your body bulletproof.) I have you balling up into yourself and barely clinging at all! I am trying to wrap a homemade lasagna using my own specialized combination of plastic wrap and alluminum foil. (There really isn't a brand name associated with aluminum foil and do you know why? Because aluminum is just too much fun to say.) You are not making this possible Saran Wrap!

I hate to say this but I am breaking up with you and going back to my childhood sweetheart: Glad Cling Wrap. I took years of faithfulness and tossed them aside for your fancy Brand Name. I can only hope that Glad will take me back. I might have to buy 5 rolls to show my renewed committment but it will be worth it.

I'm sorry it had to come to this, Saran Wrap. I have needs you cannot fulfill. Maybe you should take some time and just focus on yourself before you enter another relationship. I really do wish you the best.

Sincerely,

Bethany Zabrosky

And Her Diamond Shoes are Too Tight...

Sometimes it's just hard to be Lucy....

She Makes Me Happy

And They Lived.

The end of yesterdays fairy tale?

I ended up picking Nathan's bed but I didn't sleep. I kept hearing weird noises and was even sure someone was IN my house! (I heard him talking!) The bed wasn't comfy and it turns out that after allllll that, Lucy NEVER WENT BACK TO SLEEP. She tossed and turned and begged the Not So Sleeping Soundly Anymore Daddy Bear (ha!) for water so she was kicked out back into HER room where she played (the weird noises I was hearing-and incredible mess discovered the next morning) and turned on a CD from her brother's AWANA book (that was 

the man's voice I thought I heard-reading scripture) and by the time we all were up, my little girl had a slightly manic crazy-eyed look about her. Seriously. Crazy.

We considered skipping school but then there was a very possible chance that I wouldn't have had such a nice title for this post so when I dropped off the bundle of unslept energy with her teacher, I gave the teacher a heads up, wished her luck and vowed to not answer my cell phone if the school was on the other end of the line. (That last part I kept to myself.)

The moral of the strory?

Don't have kids.

No! I'm kidding.

The moral is that in my next life, I am coming back as a Papa Bear.

Daddy Bear Gets All the Sleep

Once upon a time (because that is how all good stories begin) there was a young-ish (almost 32 is still young, right?) lady named Goldi-Mommy (because she liked to think she was not only young but also had gold toned blonde hair.) She was also known for her overuse of parenthesis and promised to stop it right now.

Goldi-Mommy snuggled into her perfectly sized bed and began an expected evening of slumber but when she was awoken by crying, she rose from her rest and helped the lovely Lucy Bear recover from a bad dream. It was then the Goldi-Mommy found herself in a bed that was too soft.

The Nathan Bear woke up and he had also had a bad dream. Goldi-Mommy, fearing that the Nathan Bear might wake up the sweet Baby Ella Bear also in the room, sent him to the Sound Asleep and Snoring Daddy Bear. Goldi-Mommy curled up with the Lucy Bear and snuggled her almost back to sleep when....

Baby Ella Bear awoke! And she SAW the Goldi-Mommy in her Sister Bear's bed! That was deemed unacceptable by the Baby Bear who roared for Goldi-Mommy's attention. Goldi-Mommy quickly patted the Baby Bear and sang to her as she shooed the Lucy Bear into the room with the STILL Sound Asleep and Snoring Daddy Bear. 

Once the Baby Bear was calmed down (but still roaring a little) Goldi-Mommy had to wake up the Snoring Daddy Bear to get all the Bears arranged the right way and the once perfectly sized bed was now too crowded and squishy with Little Bear bodies.

Goldi-Mommy found herself without a bed. The Perfectly Sized one was too crowded. Lucy Bear's was too soft and too close to the Baby Bear. Nathan's Bear's was too hard and the sofa downstairs was too far away for the sleepy Goldi-Mommy.

As she stood in the hallway, pondering her predicament (and pleased with her perfect performance of alliteration) the Goldi-Mommy decided she was tired.

And at 3:45 in the morning Goldi-Mommy just.......

 

....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Manus Manum Lavat

Is it just me....

http://cogandpearl.com/store/

......or are these possibly the most hilarious and totally creepy hand soaps you have ever seen?

Someone invite me over for dinner so I can bring this as a hostess gift.

Mind Thy Cup

 Reason Number #347 that I adore Nathan:

"Hey Daddy! After we get home, lets get some baseballs and you can throw them at my new cup!"

Ella Anne

Finally rounding off Birthday Season was the celebration of the birth of our sweet Ella Anne.

Over 1 year ago, I went to my prenatal checkup appointment and was told that I was to make my way directly to Labor and Delivery. We had a baby who was 2 weeks behind in growing and my placenta was failing. Amniotic fluid was almost completely gone and the baby needed to come NOW. It was about a week and a half earlier than I planned. But, as she has always shown us, Ella does things on her own schedule.

After we were all hooked up and waiting for things to take their course, we had several episodes of our baby's heartbeat dipping too low, then rising too fast and each time it brought a team of doctors and nurses in our tiny delivery room. Girlfriends spilled out into the hallway praying for my girl while I actually caught myself allowing the thought of losing this baby forever to cross my mind. But that wasn't God's plan for us, for Ella.

2008 was a year for my family that found all of us turning to Ella for hope and joy. Just a few weeks old and we turned to her cuddliness for comfort. She'd only been smiling for days when I found myself seeking hope and joy in her eyes. People who were in a place of sadness or defeat would hold my child and it would heal them.

Ella's birthday was a Sunday this year and it seemed fitting to have her dedicated that day as well. We had all the kids come on the stage with us and while Nathan didn't want to at first (he doesn't like people looking at him) he joined us on stage later as we prayed for Ella Anne and dedicated ourselves to raising her in the ways of the Lord. I know God has a purpose for her that is special and I am so excited to find out where that will lead her. She has already done so much for so many people.

We all gathered at our house after church for cake and ice cream. Ella held her own in a room of adults and about a million kids running a

round. She was a fan of the cake but preferred to not touch it, instead liked leaning forward to take bites. And when the day was done, we wrapped things up like we always do: It was just me and my baby in the rocking chair as I sang her the song I have sung to all three of my babies (and still sing to even the 6 Year-Old-iest of them.)

No One Like You

by: John Denver

I like your eyes,

I like your nose,

I like your mouth, your ears, your hands, your toes

I like your face, Its really you

I like the things you say and do

In all the world, in every town

You can look both up and down

You will never find, its true

Another one, like you

There's not a soul

That sees the skies

The way you see them through your eyes

And if you search for miles and miles

You know that no one thinks or smiles

Or sings or feels, or talks or acts, or walks

The very special way you do.

And aren't you glad 

You should be glad 

There's no one, no one 

Exactly like you.