"Blessed"

Yes it's been a while. I'm just not good at this whole blogging thing, and coming up with something that I think people will actually want to read about. But, I finally came up with something this morning. TATTOOS.

Tattoos are controversial. Everyone has an opinion about them, and those opinions usually range from being "addicted" to them, and feeling that they are an art form, to they are trashy and people can't see why someone would do that to their body. I've also heard, and, being a Christian, grown up to believe, that our body is a temple and we should treat it is such. And to get a tattoo "you are defiling the Temple of the Lord". Weeellll.... I now have two tattoos. And, NO, I do not feel as though I am defiling my body. I've come to believe that getting a tattoo is no different than getting your ears pierced, or wearing make-up, etc. I might be wrong in feeling that way, but if I am, that is between me and God.

I do not think that all tattoos are trashy. I think that a person can get a trashy tattoo, but just because someone gets a tattoo, does not make that person trashy. My brother has several tattoos. He is also our Church's Youth Minister. I also know a pastor of a church that has at least one tattoo. Are they wrong for having tattoos? NO. I think that they are going to be able to minister to a whole range of people that not everyone would be able to. There might be someone feeling down on his or her self, thinking that they aren't good enough because of things they might have done in their life, having tattoos might be one of them, and I feel like they might look at these men and see that just because a person has tattoos, that doesn't mean that God doesn't love them.

I love my tattoos. They both mean something to me. It took me a long time to decide WHAT I was going to get both times, and WHERE I was going to get them. My first tattoo is a cross with my son's names on either side. I LOVE it! It is everything that is most important to me! My new one is the word "Blessed" on the outside of my foot. It is self explanatory, lol. Yes, there are a lot of people in this world that will look at me and think less of me because I have tattoos, not caring what they are or what they stand for to me. But I did not get my tattoos for anyone but myself. I love them and I do not regret getting them. I heard or read recently that the difference in people that have tattoos and those that don't is that the people that DO have them don't care that you don't. Which, I guess, is exactly what I'm trying to get at.

"The tattoo is the mark of the soul. It can act as a window, through which we can see inside, or it can be a shield to protect us from those who can not see past the surface." David Bollt

A Few Faves...

One of the main reasons I had thought about starting a blog was to have a place to display some of my pictures. I have several photo blogs bookmarked on my computer, and I've always enjoyed looking through the pictures and reading the stories behind them.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

Very random, I know, but this really is a favorite of mine. Last year on my boy's Spring Break we went camping at a local lake for a couple of days. We went walking, and I happened to notice this metal 'tag' nailed into a tree, and KNEW that I had to have a picture of it. Maybe it's my love of all things photography, but I see the world in pictures. "Oh that would be a great picture..." That is exactly what I thought when I saw this!

Gage, on the same Spring Break. He wasn't happy at all to be posing for me, but it still made for a good picture, I thought.

Wyatt, and my nephew, Aiden, playing on the trampoline.

My gorgeous niece, Jordis, who does not mind AT ALL being my subject! We were outside at my mom's house, and she stuck her head through an opening on my mom's arbor, the sun was right behind her head, and this is how it turned out! LOVE IT!

My gorgeous niece, Emberli. This was her first photo shoot! Isn't she precious?!?!

These are two of my closest friends (me in the background), playing around in the powder room of our hostess, at our office Christmas party.

New At This

I've never done a blog before, so we'll all see how this goes!

I have been married for 14 years to a wonderful man, Kevin. We have two boys, Gage, 13; and Wyatt, 10. They are the loves of my life.



I started out as a stay-at-home mom, which was (and is) the best job in the world! In 1997 I started working part-time at Gage's Pediatrician's office. My (ex-step) aunt was a nurse there at the time, and they were short-handed, so she called and asked me to help out. I eventually started working "up front" as a fill-in receptionist/file girl. In 2004 Kevin got a new job, and I was able to quit and stay home, full-time... well except for those times I would sub at our high school. I was very involved with the boy's school. I helped out with all of their class parties, field trips, etc. And I loved every minute of it! I'm not one of those mom's that can't wait for school to start, I love(ed) when my boys are at home with me. On June 3rd, 2007 I went back to work, FULL-TIME at the Pediatrician's office. It was, and still is some days, very hard. I miss the class parties (I've made it to a few since starting back to work, but not all), the field trips, and just picking them up from school everyday. But things happen, and life changes, and we deal with it.

They are both involved in sports. Gage played pee-wee basketball and Little League baseball since he was able to. He stopped playing basketball when he went into the 7th Grade. Then he decided not to play baseball last Summer so that he could focus on football, and played his first season of Junior High football last year! It was great! He loves it, I think, more than any other sport he's played. Wyatt only plays baseball, right now. I love it too (especially since baseball is one of my favorite sports, other than High School and Razorback football)! He isn't interested in basketball, at all. But I think he might play football later on.

Gage (#86) and his good friend, Aaron, after a football game

Wyatt

It makes me sad sometimes that my babies are growing up so fast. But, then, it is also exciting to see the young men they are turning into. I know we have hard times ahead, as we are heading towards "the teenage years". Gage is already a teenager, and I know in just a short time, we'll be dealing with dating and driving........ OH MY.... NOT ready for all of that!! But we will take it all one day at a time, good days and bad... hopefully more good! haha But no matter what, this IS my blessed life!