Extra! Extra! Read all about it.

I am making the newspapers. OK, the newspaper! I was not feeling well this morning so I was laying on the couch. I had taken some pictures for the Marines a couple of weeks ago at the Littleton ceremony. I have a running agreement with the Marines that I will do pictures for them and when they put them in the paper, they use my name. So they sent the pictures to the Polk County Pulse and used my name of course. So this morning as I was just laying on the couch, the phone rang. I didn't know the number, so I let the answering machine get it. On the phone was LeeAnn Dilbeck who is the editor of the Polk County Pulse. She said that she had a picture that the marines had submitted to them. She wanted to hire me to take pictures for the Pulse. WHAT? I thought that I was going to fall over. She wants to contract me to take pictures for her!

She tells me to set my price and call her back. So I did and we set up the time and I told her that she could rely on me for this Saturday. I have always wanted to work for a newspaper taking pictures. My idea was taking pictures for a magazine when I was younger, and this is the next best thing. I know that this probably won't take me to far in Mena, but at least people will get to see my pictures and see the passion that I have for them!!!!

Softball, photo shoots, parties, and prayers

This has been a very busy week. On Tuesday I took some spring pictures for some friends. I have taken RH’s little girls pictures since she was born. Well, actually before she was born. I took RH’s maternity pictures also. So I was excited to get to take her eighteen month pictures as well. While I was there we decided to take RH’s nieces pictures. Baby Bella is such a sweet baby, and I was really excited to shoot her, since the last time I had taken her shots she was one month old. After I finished the shoot and got the pictures to Bella’s mommy, she texted me with a request.

See SH’s baby brother passed away last month. It was a complete shock to us all, and he was found in his home. He was only 19. When Bella was born he loved that baby dearly. Now her brother had a baby that he got to see on the weekends only. Trinity was the light of his life. When Bella was born he told his sister that Bella looked just like Trinity. As she is telling me this, I am in tears. I asked her what I could do for her and she tells me that one of the pictures that I took was similar to one that DM had of Trinity. What? How could I have a shot that looks like hers. So she sends me the picture and sure enough they are almost identical. I had changed Bella’s to black and white and she needed it in color. She cries telling me that this picture meant more than the world to her. I am so pleased I was able to capture something that could be so close to her heart.

So Wednesday comes around and we have practice for t-ball. I was sick feeling and asked Sam to please take the girls to the practice, while I stayed home to rest. I get phone calls that tells me that both girls have softball and t-ball games on Saturday. Aleeyah was having her soccer game that morning also.

Thursday was Aleeyah’s softball practice and once again I asked Sam to take her. Thankfully that was the last softball practice of the year and we can get started with the games. Why they book softball and soccer to overlap I will never know.

Friday was Acorn High School’s prom. I was hired to follow two girls around and take pictures. Their mothers did not want to mess with bringing their cameras so they called me instead. I was one busy woman and chasing to young girls was hard. My age has really began to show!! HA!

Sat was the busiest day of my life (that I can remember). Sat morning Aleeyah had a soccer game. She did so well and made a goal for the first time ever. I was so proud of her, since she never kicks the ball when it is in front of her!! She was more excited when the other kids made a goal than she was when she made one. After the soccer game, Averrie had a t-ball game at 2:30. I was unable to make that game, due to the fact that I had a prior obligation. Sam said that Averrie would not play and he set on the side lines with her the whole time. Looks like I wasted 40.00 for nothing! At 4:30, Aleeyah had her softball game. She was amazing they said. Yes, I had to miss her game to. I was having a great time at a housewarming party that I was hosting for Shauna Wagner. Shannon Aleshire and myself had decided to host this party when we found out that Shauna and gotten her house. She got loads of neat stuff and it turned out very nice!

I had my fourth fasting prayer answered today. PRAISE THE LORD!!!! Our new camper’s hot water tank was leaking pretty badly and I had looked into buying a new one and it was almost $700.00. I knew we didn’t have that kind of money laying around, so I added it to my prayer list during my fast. Guess what? Sam took the tank out today and found the problem, which can be fixed for less than $30.00. PRAISE GOD!!! I knew that if I prayed it would help!!

Also, I decided that since I had hit the bottle all week (Tylenol bottle that is), that I should take nothing last night and today. Well, it didn’t take long for the fever to come on and sickness to follow. I have spent my Sunday sick and wishing I could do the things that I didn’t get to do all week. Now tomorrow starts another week with Aleeyah having a softball game Monday night, and a soccer game on Friday and Tuesday! I get myself into the worse binds sometimes!

Oh how I want a burger!!

So this is day 9 on my fast. I am not allowed meat, caffeine, or cokes. I am a stress eater, and when I think something is seriously getting to me I have a Diet Dr. pepper and a slim Jim. Oh, this week has been complete torture. Being that it is the most stressful week to date, it wasn't the best time to do this fast. I have held fast though, and I am almost to my 10 days marker.

I began this fast with many prayers that I wanted answered. I must tell you that three of them have been answered PRAISE THE LORD!!

1st. I wanted my granny to come home. I wanted her here in Mena so that I could call her, so that I could go by there and see her. Just to know she was here gave me comfort.

2nd. I wanted (as materialistic as it may seem), a camper. I was stressed about trying to find one, and was in constant irritation when I couldn't get Sam to look at any. Nothing was in our price range, so I prayed that the Lord would send one in our price range and he did.

3rd. I prayed that my grandfather would let us see my granny. He told us that we couldn't see her, and that we couldn't call her. I knew that she needed family at this time and he was keeping her from that. Thankfully, my grandfather changed his mind and allowed us to see her Sunday afternoon.

Three prayers answered and I feel wonderful about this!!

One, two, three strikes your out…..

Sometimes life throws you curve balls! Most of the time when I get thrown a curve ball, I pick up my bat and hit it out of the park. A home run that is over the fence and long gone!! Here lately though I have been striking out badly. First, we bought a new camper. Now that would usually be a great thing, but during this time is was the most stressful time in my life (well, there are some that top that). We had to get it licensed and pay the sales tax on it. Boy that ball hit the parked car three miles from the field on that one.

Then to top things off, my grandfather called. My granny was able to come home Wednesday. I was so excited, and told the girls that we would be seeing granny this weekend! They were so excited and were wanting to pick her some flowers. Then my grandfather called and said “No kids, No visitors, No phone calls.” WHAT?! I can’t call my granny, I can’t take the girls to see granny, I can’t come and see granny.

He said that the doctor told him that granny’s immune system was very frail, and that children were walking germs. I don’t disagree that children can pop a fever faster than anything, but I would never bring the girls around if I thought that they were sick. I was like that before she had cancer, and I would do the same now! He is not even allowing her to take phone calls. There are so many things that I could say to this, so many things that I could scream at the top of my lungs. What am I to do? Nothing!! There is nothing I can do, but wish that things were different. So yet another ball that I struck at and missed horribly!!

So tonight, on a night that I feel like I have just failed with all that i have tried to do today, I am finishing the day off watching Julia & Julie, and listening to Aleeyah chat about anything she finds amusing. I realize that it doesn’t really matter if I hit all the balls, just if I am a good sport about the ones that I don’t hit!!!