Last night...I was in the kitchen throwing out things from the fridge that I didn't think we were going to finish in time. Amongst those things were these strawberries. They were a bit wilted and I didn't see us consuming them in the next few days. However, when I sat them on the counter and went to put them in my "pitch" pile, Kenidi had a fit and wanted some of them. She was fresh out of the tub and began diving into them. I began placing them on a platter to rinse off and cut the stems from. She was eating them as fast as I could clean them. It was hysterical. She goes through phases like this. One minute she'll eat something - the next minute she detests it. Last night though, strawberries were clearly on her "fav" list.
She had me cracking up as she woofed down all that I put out there. I decided to grab Big Papa (of course) and practice with my new Nikon SB-900 Speedlight Flash. This flash needs a photography course all for itself. Just another new thing for me to soak up and learn about. In the meantime, it sure is fun to practice with all of the colored gels and the diffuser it came with. Big Papa just got a bit "bigger" so to speak. ;)
This 1960's overlay above is great - even with strawberries in the teeth...
And below...just me, her, the strawberries and the camera...
She was loving it!
This one below is a perfect depiction of the "excited Kenidi." She does this whenever she is really beaming about something. LOVE THAT!
Oh come on Mommy...I'll take some more - even the ones without the stems cut off yet...
Never fear...this last one was a clean and shaved one. Hee hee!
And for all you twilight fans out there...How about a little strawberry rather than an apple...? HA!
Too fun! Just enjoying the small things this morning. That includes the sweet, bright colored, strawberry moments with my daughter. And as for Brennen? Nope, he doesn't eat strawberries. Imagine that. He isn't a fruit child at all. I keep trying to tell him that he is really missing out. What...no wilted strawberries for my little Rockstar? Nooooooo! Nevah!
Off to my hair appointment now. Time for Jason to ROCK the "do" as he always does - just in time for vacay! Then, on to the start of a superb weekend fo' sho'! Moments spent with good friends - and many, many, good times to be had in the next 48-72 hours. Enjoy your weekend. Be back soon... Hugs, Angie
PS...I know, I know. Don't make fun of me...! I realize that only me, myself, and I could scope out zebra pottery/dishware at a local art fair. Believe it or not, that zebra pottery collection of ours is about 15 years old. Funny how things come back in style all these years later (i.e. zebra prints). I found that thru an artist at an event right about the time that we first got married. I collected many of his pieces in the years to follow. No matter what I put on it, it makes it look better than it really is. Thank goodness because my cooking needs all the help it can get. To this day, its still one of my all time favorite collections though. Imagine that! Ha ha! I know you ladies are shocked beyond belief. It makes even the most wilted of strawberries look divine, doesn't it? Love me some zebra! :)
Mother Nature is really playing a very sick joke on all of us Hoosiers this winter. We had record degree temps for February this past week. Some days in the 60 degree mark. And yes, as mentioned earlier, warm enough for me to break out the flip flops on a couple of occasions. Same with some other 'flop obsessed souls' too. I looked to the left of me when paying in line at a store the other day and sure enough...another gal was standing there sporting her 'flops' too. We laughed together and rejoiced in it.
Today however, I woke up to yet another dusting of snow on our grass that had just been cleared and melted free of the white junk following our great weather week. You wouldn't have wanted to be around me or within a 14 mile radius of me when I woke up and witnessed more snow this morning. I didn't make very pretty sounds.
So, what does one do when they feel the need to vomit at the sight of more snow? One goes to her calendar, pops it open, and begins counting down the days to Spring Break. Our Spring Break for the kids new school is a week later than normal this year. There are some pros and some cons to that. The con is that all of my friends I know from CG will be on vacation a different week from us. Therefore, eliminating any possible sightings of each other while in the same vacation local. One positive pro to it all though...just as they are returning home from Spring Break, we will just be leaving for Spring Break. Hee hee! :)
So...how many days did I find that we have left until our departure for Spring Break? 46 to be exact. 46 days. The exciting part about Spring Break this year is that my brother and sister in law (and their kids) will be joining us. My Mother in law (Debbie) will also be flying in for a couple of days too. We can't wait. I'm also really excited because I hope to get some great shots of my sister in law (Aubree) on the beach while preggo. I'm praying that I can sucker her into letting me practice with her beautimous belly while there. I'd also like to do some updated family shots of them all while on the beach one evening. Speaking of maternity shots, I can't remember if I had announced here on the ol' blog yet that Aubree and Brad (Brent's brother) are expecting. How awesome is that? Aubree is due July 28th. This will be Brad's first so we are eager to see how he handles the day of child birth. Ha ha! We know you will ROCK it Brad. We have total faith in you. :)
So...fun days ahead. Lots of fun days! Now...can someone get me a palm tree?
The kids and I are thankful today for 6:30am automated phone calls from the school Superintendent saying, "Stay home...it's a snow day!" Brennen immediately began to ping off the walls and ask "What are we going to do today, Mom, what are we going to do?"
Uh...go back to bed maybe...
Needless to say, that wasn't an option. Mom duties call. I have requests for hot Coco Wheats for breakfast. Ever had them? If you haven't, then run to your nearest grocery store and grab a box to make like right now. My aunt got me hooked on those as a young girl and I'm still obsessed with them all these years later. Now my kids beg for them too. I'm off to start making those as well as plan my attack on that snow outside with Big Papa in hand. I am bound and determine to get pictures of the kids out in this nasty white stuff today. We got 11" overnight last night with more falling as we speak. This is the most snow I remember getting in Indiana in a really long time.
Oh dear parents of ours...Dad, Cathy, Mom, Deb and Ron...you guys ready to pack up and move to Florida with Brent, myself, and the kids yet? The beach is calling...all of us. :) Brent cracked me up last night when he said that the only thing holding him in Indy & keeping him from moving us to the beach at this moment is Kenidi's teacher. We feel like she is such a good fit for our little "Keester" that we'd never want to pull Kenidi away from her or that classroom. Alison, I don't know whether to thank you or be mad at you now. Ha ha - Keeping us from the beach and all. :) Just kidding. Would you consider packing up and moving with us if we ever did? You know?...you, your husband, that new baby to be, etc. We'll make it a fun journey. We promise! :) Ha ha! All in a perfect world, eh?
Thank goodness for snow days to make it all a little easier to stomach. I guarantee you Florida isn't getting a snow day today. I think I'd rather scratch the snow days and live by the beach instead. What do you guys think? xoxoxo, Ang
PS...Due to the kids being home from school today, eBays 2nd round of listings will be put on hold until tomorrow - possibly Friday. I'm going to spend the day with my kiddo's rather than sorting thru clothes, photographing, and then listing them in auctions. More are coming - hang tight.
I wanted to post a couple of thank yous to some wonderful fellow blog friends of mine that passed on little award tags to me this past week. First up, the butterfly award from Amy. Love Amy! Her blog is absolutely hilarious. Another fun fact about Amy is that she is local - here in Indiana with me. We actually got to meet at the RIDEMAKERZ blogger event that time. Love my fellow "Hoosier" blog sista's. They can appreciate my whinin' when our adorable weather girl, Angela Buchman (Brent 'hearts' her)
from channel 8, calls for 4-8 inches of snow in the next 24 hours as she has today. Blaaahhhhhhhhhhh! Thanks Amy. Love ya girl. I truly appreciate your sweetness in regards to giving this fun award to me. YAY!
Next up, I have my wonderful blog friend, Irene, over in Greece. Yes, she is following this blog from all the way over in good ol' Greece - a place I'd love to vacation to someday. The black sand beach over there in Santorini is calling my name. Really, it is? Don't you hear it? Anyway, Irene is one of many global, world wide followers, of the AGD blog. I always love to hear from others out of the country. It's still so amazing to me just how powerful a blog can be and how far they can reach. The friendships you make via blogging are like no other. So fun, so consistent, and so loyal. You know me...I'm big on loyalty. I may not have the time to comment on everyone else's blogs all the time, but I sure do visit and pop in as often as I possibly can. My blog roll is a big one and I make sure to comment on the other blogs as often as possible. Comments are HUGE. Us bloggers "wuv" our commenters. Keep em' coming...
Irene gave me this lemonade award and it is passed to bloggers for "showing great Attitude and/or Gratitude." The best part about Irene's award though - were her comments out to the side of my name when she listed me under the award recipients. They read:
Love that..."with an attitude." Ha ha! Thanks Irene. You and Amy are both so very sweet in regards to mentioning me in your blogs and passing these awards on. I can't thank the both of you enough. Thanks for being some of my B/B/S's. (Best bloggin' sista's)
Oh today is a bitter sweet day for us here in the Seaman Family. Today is the day that our home on the South side of Indy will officially become someone elses. Yes, our home down south sold and the new family took possession of it today.
I love that house - always have. And if you remember correctly, I never wanted to move from it. However, with the persuasion of Brent wanting to move North because of his drive back and forth to the office each day as well as the events that took place in Kenidi's old school toward the end of last year, (CGES pushing out the special needs class in order to make room for an honors classroom), I finally gave in and let God be God. I had prayed that if it was the right decision, we'd end up North. And we did! Here we are - loving it up on the North side of Indy.
We lived in the old house for a little over 5 years. We put it on the market at the end of June last year. We were told by our realtor to remain patient - that because of the market and the size home it was - we could be sitting on it for a year or so. Then, when the market dropped and housing issues became what they are now...we thought we might just end up sitting on it for a couple of years. Scary - I know. We are praising God today for him bringing the right couple to us after only 6.5 months on the market. Although I won't miss paying double mortgage payments each month now, I will definitely miss the home itself. We have many fond and wonderful memories in that house and it breaks my heart to let it go. Really. It does!
We spent many summers by the pool with friends and family. This backyard held some great parties and some incredible laughs. I have many a photographs of friends goofing off on that slide. I see them in my head as I flash thru these old pictures today. Brent had the landscaping there at the house in superb condition. If we heard it once, we heard it a thousand times, in regards to people stopping to compliment our yard. We were known in the neighborhood by some as those people with "that yard." Or some called us the "mum" house because they remember our yard one fall when Brent had these HUGE mums planted all over our yard. It was always too funny to hear people go..."Oh you are the ones that live in the Mums house..."
We loved it there. The house was good to us. The neighbors were good to us.
The pool was especially good to us.
I teared up a bit today thinking about the last time we were all in the pool together last summer. I teared up thinking about how last week was the last time I'd ever be in that house again. I teared up thinking about last summer was the last time I'd ever laugh and try to shoot hoops with Brennen in the drive again. I teared up thinking about how we'd probably never get the chance to meet another neighbor like our "smiley face in the yard" neighbor. You remember Wayne? Yeah...the one who mowed a smiley face in our front yard when we were away on vacation just to get Brent's goat because he treasured the grass so much. See the smiley face in the picture below...? Classic. We laughed until our sides ached when we rolled up at home that night from the airport. I never even noticed it but Brent saw it IMMEDIATELY - in the dark mind you.
That's OK...we got them (the neighbors) back by doing a chalk outline of a dead body on their drive way and wrapping their house with yellow caution tape a short while later. Good times~Good times! We'll miss everyone on that street. Our street was really the only street in the neighborhood that had kids all the same age. Young kids anyway. Brennen loved his little neighbor pals and still does.
In the end though...we established that change is GREAT. Not just 'good' anymore but GREAT! The decision to move to the North side of Indy turned out to be one of the best decisions we've ever made in our lives. We are overly happy up here. The schools are incredible. The neighborhoods are fantastic. The ambiance isn't even comparable. The restaurant choices and shopping are out of this world. All in all, it's just a great place to raise a family and we are so glad we made the decision we did. Looking back, as scared as I was to move, I realize once again in life that God had it all planned out. It worked out perfectly - just as he planned it to.
We pray the new homeowners will love our old house. We sure did!
Yeap...this is exactly what I looked like as I woke to my 9 year old telling me that he was about to miss his bus. I failed as a Mom this morning. Horribly! I can't remember - ever in my life - over sleeping for something. (Well...maybe for high school once or twice back in the day) To put it mildly - I'm embarrassed and kicking myself this morning. UGH!
I woke at 5am to a horrific nightmare again. This makes about the third one in a week. Nightmares like the ones that take your breath away as you are woken from a dead sleep. Ones that cause you to not be able to catch your breath for about 3 days following. One of the nightmares being that my Dad and Cathy were killed in a tragic car crash, the other that our house was on fire and I couldn't get to Brennen upstairs, and another that someone was in our home - in the middle of the night. This morning was the third one that woke me and I'm over it. I can't quite figure out what is going on but I've been praying heavily about it. I've gotten very little sleep all this week because of them. This morning I woke at 5am to one of them taking my breath away again and just decided to turn my alarm off and get up for good. I normally try to be up by 6am as it is in order to start getting myself ready and then get the kids ready to catch the bus. I poked around the house for about 45 minutes, still trying to catch my breath after the nightmare and finally determined that I would go lay back down beside Kenidi for a bit before having to wake her and Brennen for school. I knew I was WIDE awake and that there was no chance I'd fall back to sleep. I thought I'd snuggle with her for about 20 minutes before having to get us all up. Welp...guess what? I managed to fall back asleep during that time. Yeah...I suck stink as a Mom this morning.
Once awake and frantic, I emailed both of Kenidi and Brennen's teachers to alert them that they'd be late. Then, I called the bus transportation for their school and let dispatch know that Kenidi wouldn't be on the bus. Brennen had officially just missed his so it was too late to call his driver. Those two crawled back in bed together and watched Blues Clues while I grabbed a quick shower. It was either take them straight to school at that moment looking like Godzilla had just taken over my appearance or make them a few minutes later by grabbing a shower before having to cross that threshold into the school hallways. And yes...they were a few minutes later because I didn't dare go sign them into that school, TARDY, looking like a crack head with my hair standing on end and mascara all under my eyes. (why does left over mascara do this at night? anyone know? Drives me nuts!) Thank my Mom for this attribute in me. She has taught me that we can't leave the house without a shower first. Even if your water broke, you are in labor, and/or dying all at the same time. WE DON'T LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT A SHOWER - EVAH! Oh yes, I've done it. On numerous occasions honestly. However, guess who I saw each time I left the house without a shower first? E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y that I ever went to school with from kindergarten on up. You know it happens. We've all been there. Lookin' like crack heads without showers and we ultimately run into someone we went to school with, dated, hated, etc., from our past. BLLLLLLLLLLAHAAAAAAAAAAA!
So...here I sit...freshly showered...embarrassed that I overslept due to a nightmare and caused my kids to be late to school. You bet I'm getting the Mom of the year award for this one. I'm sure of it. Best part about it...as I signed the kids in 35 minutes late and TARDY to class...I pass the principal in the hallway coming from Kenidi's room. Might I insert here how much I love their principal? YES, love her! Apparently she had just been in Kenidi's room and wondered where she was. As I saw her coming down the hall, I wanted to crawl in a hole and die. All of a sudden I felt a sin coming on. Ever seen that t-shirt? It says across the front "I feel a sin coming on." Yes, my first thought was...lie. Just lie. Tell her that the car wouldn't start. That the water pipes busted and they had no water to shower. Maybe even something like the dog ate Moms alarm clock. HA! Just kidding. You guys know me too well. Yeap, I confessed. Brent said I probably sounded like a 10 year old telling the principal of the school that I made my kids late because I had a nightmare. HA! Now that I think about it, I probably did sound six ten. Then, I got into Kenidi's classroom and got to talk to her teacher for a sec. She asked me if Kenidi had a Dr. appt. or something this morning and that is why she was late. Nope. I confessed again. I can't lie people. Just can't! Thanks for feeling my pain this morning Alison beings that you had also been up - since 4am. Misery loves company right? At least your baby is still in your belly and you can't make him or her late for school yet like I did this morning. HA HA! Yes friends...Kenidi's teacher found out recently that she is pregnant with her first child. YAY! We are so excited for her. However, I did write her that same day that she told us and told her that she was not allowed to fall so madly in love with her newborn baby that she ultimately decides to become a stay at home Mom and quit teaching. Brent and I told her that she needs to be there and keep teaching at least for the next 5 years until Kenidi goes to middle school. :) We will not stand for her becoming a stay at home Mom. Ha ha! Love ya Alison! When I drove away this morning I thought to myself, boy..."she was just glowing today." Pregnancy glow no doubt. Either way, you looked great!
So...I'm off on a rabbit trail here and need to get back to point. Case in point is...don't ever lay back down after having a nightmare when you have to get up in another 30 minutes anyway. Trust me...you can and you WILL fall back to sleep. Anyone else want to join me for the Mom of the year banquet I'll be attending now?
BLLLAAHHHHHHH.
Ang
PS...It's going to be another 45 degree day here in Indy today. YAY! I'm so giddy about the warm up that I'm just beside myself. I therefore...am going to put on my bathing suit coat and grab my beach towel camera bag and go shoot for a bit in an effort to catch my breath and find peace to my already jacked up day. In the meantime, enjoy the song of the day here on my blog. Simply the best by Tina Turner. You know...for the best mom in the world award?? ;)
If there is one thing I've become obsessed with in the past year (since the Winter of 2007), it is scarves. It could be 90 degrees outside and I'm still always inevitably COLD. Therefore, not only do I love accessorizing with scarves, I love that they help me feel warm. I'm bad about wearing a huge winter coat so most times I will sport a scarf and run in and out of -9 degree weather with just a scarf and no coat. Anyone who knows me and runs around with me in real life can attest to this. Now, don't get me wrong, I love jackets and coats that are light weight, cute, trendy, etc. In fact, some women have a shoe obsession, my obsession would be coats and jackets. However, I detest big puffy winter coats. I feel like the Michelin man girl or the big stay puff marshmallow man girl from Ghostbusters when wearing puffy winter coats. And maybe even "Bob Gregory's kid." (Only my fellow life long Indiana Hoosiers will get that one-small inside joke. Showing my age a little here.). Therefore, I just don't. I don't usually wear winter coats. So...Que' scarf. Love them! Love them! Love them! However, I have found that many of you are like I was when I began wearing scarves. Initially, I had no idea how to actually wear one. I looked like nothing short of a dork lackin' scarf tying skillz' whenever I attempted to accessorize with one. Magazines were horrible about trying to teach you and no one else offered any help either. Thank God for google, eh?
So...in an effort to help those of you who would love to wear a scarf but feel as though you too, look like a dork lackin' the tying skillz'...I have posted a "how to" video when it comes to this wonderful and oh so cheap accessorizing tool. You really can't go wrong with a scarf. There are so many adorable yet inexpensive scarfs out there now days that can transform an outfit from so geek to ssoosooooooo chic'! (Remember that line from the movie "Can't buy me love?" - Come on now...help me show my age here again.) You can use a scarf with the blandest and most plain tee's or you can dress up a gorgeous sweater with jeans. Really, scarfs just ROCK!
I picked this tutorial video because I felt it was the best of the best that I found. Some of the video's out there were just not detailed enough or only offered 3 or 4 different tying styles. Quantity was key here. Only the best for my blog readers! :)
So, I hope you enjoy this. Let me know if it helped you like the old one helped me initially. And... as a tid bit of information regarding the tying techniques she shows on the video, #2 is MY all time fav. LOOOVVEEESSS it! (not stage 2 but the actual 2nd one she shows in the tutorial)Classy, jackie-o looking, and definitely reminds me of my friend Audrey. You know...Audrey Hepburn? The #2 that she shows on the video is wayyyyyy Hepburn-esque in my opinion. I also love the one right after that when she says "stage 2" that she shows where you knot one side and put the other side into the knot and let it hang. Almost like a necklace. Fun, fun, fun! That one is great for plain ol' tee's and jeans. Enjoy!
Much love, Ang
PS...Make sure to pause my music in the playlist box at the bottom of this page before coming back up here to push play on this video.
Here is AGD's 2nd sneak peek set of the week. Yes, I know it's torture. I receive all kinds of emails telling me how much you guys 'detest' when I post only sneak peek pictures rather than full body modeled images of my new designs. I know you'd prefer I just cut thru the labor and get to the birth (as Brent always says), but this is a process for me. I'm very picky about the images I take when showcasing a new design. Therefore, I always aim to find a day outside when I can get Kenidi out and about while having her model the set for me to the best of her ability. However, although that is my mission, these two particular sets are giving me fits because I have no weather to do such shooting in. It is another -5 degree day here in Indiana today but we are hunkered down inside enjoying a school day that has been cancelled. YAY! Kenidi is here but napping at the moment. I'm hoping to get her awake and moving later on in an effort to take some shots of these sets today, in our dining room mind you. Ha ha! I have no other option and I must get these listed in time to sell and make before V-Day, although they can be worn long after that too. So...stay tuned...the REAL images are coming. I promise!
On another note, I had a client/customer and dear blog friend of mine order this Canyon View Cross necklace from me this week. The original design was outfitted with a different cross. However, due to the mad Christmas rush and you all wiping me out of supplies (which is a good thing), I had to find a new cross design for this necklace. Might I just say that I love, love, love the new look. I changed up the cross, toggle, and pearl coloring just a bit to give off a funky, edgey, trendy, and oh so grungy kind of look. This piece goes with anything in your wardrobe and I do mean ANYTHING! Needless to say, I will be making a new version of this piece for myself all over again. And the even cooler thing about this new cross, that back of it has "HAVE FAITH" inscribed into the silver. ROCK ON! Gotta' love that!
If you are interested in purchasing one of these necklaces before they are all gone and I can't do anymore, go to AGD's boutique website and purchase one right now. You can find the direct link HERE. Until then, enjoy your Friday. Talk again soon...
P.S. Thank you to all of you who emailed me privately, hit me up on facebook, or who left comments here on the blog giving us well wishes for Kenidi's neurology appt. yesterday. For those of you lucky dogs who friend requested me on facebook, you get all of the inside scoop on what is going on in our lives before my blog readers even do now. Aren't you feeling special? Ha ha! And yes...when you FB'ers all got wind that we were at Riley yesterday for a routine appt., you came out of the woodwork to wish us well over there on "Crackbook." Oops...I mean "facebook." Ha ha! In the end, it was a decent appointment with minimal new news. Her neurologist upped her medication in an effort to try and knock out the 2-3 break thru seizures we still notice her having on a daily basis. (the eye rolling seizures that last all of 5 seconds) I hit the doc up with some major questions yesterday regarding epilepsy, John Travolta's sons incident, the whys, the "could that happen?" questions, and so on. As I told my step-Mom, I left the appointment with crude answers but answers that were real and truthful. It deflated a bit of the wind in my sails but I know without a shadow of a doubt that God has Kenidi wrapped tightly in his arms every second of every day that she is here on this earth. Do I worry that we'll never get the seizures totally under control and that she'll never get a drivers license because of it? Yes. Do I worry that she'll be an adult and have to be carefully monitored because of the type seizures she has and the proven statistic that they follow you into adult hood, Yes! Do I just plain & simply worry? Yes! I worry. However, when I catch myself doing it...I immediately pray and tell God that I'm turning the worry all over to him and that she is his problem. I tell him that I am confident his promises for her here on this earth will ring true and that he will do incredible things with her life as a child as well as when she is a grey haired old woman. God is good! And he never wastes pain! Although I feel that I'm in one of those years where I have asked, I know her years to come will be years that he answers.
Thank you to all of you who care for Kenidi as if you genuinely know her. I can't wait to show her the things you guys have done for her and said to or about her as she gets older and can understand your compassion and support. I've got the best blog readers EVAH and now I have the best "CRACKBOOK" friends EVAH too! HA HA! Much love lovahs'...
Today started out as a crappy day. A really crappy day. Kenidi had a scheduled neurology appointment downtown at 9:30am. Late yesterday evening, Brennen's school did a mass voicemail to all parents alerting them that their school would have a two hour delay this morning due to weather. My immediate thought was - "Oh terrific, now Brennen will have to miss part of the day because he'll be forced to attend the neurology appt. with us now instead of being at school like he normally would've been." I couldn't leave him home alone to catch the bus by himself. And even if I could have, I wouldn't have. Brent had a very important meeting that had been previously planned and COULD NOT be rescheduled. Thus why he couldn't stay home and help get him on the bus. I didn't mind Brennen coming along, in fact it was good time together. However his school has such a strict policy this year regarding absences that it makes me cringe when the kids have to miss school - even a minute of school. This day however, was clearly already out of my control. God had other plans. As usual!
So...we hit the door running and ultimately discovered what we already knew. Indiana drivers treat snow like its the earth caving in. They literally creep along and act like they've never seen the white fluffy stuff before. Granted, we all know I have a lead foot. However, I'm still cautious. I'm cautious at a normal rate of speed. These people afraid of the snow though, they drive me bonkers! Really...people...we've lived here forever. This is about the 1 millionth time you've had to drive in it. You should be plenty used to a car and how it handles on snow by this point. Either way, I found myself nagging inside my head and griping about how I was going to be made late to the doctor appt. if these pokers didn't pick up the pace. At one point, I looked down and saw that my car dash read -9. Yes Internet, -9. It eventually came down to -8 and held there so I snapped a picture with my Iphone of the moment. I don't remember ever seeing my vehicles read negative anything. This was a first for me. It's bitterly cold here in Indy and I can't remember feeling this chilly in a longggg time. Either way, I took the picture in an effort to show you guys. Why? I donno. Maybe cuz' I was being whiny and wanted to gripe some more. Yeah, that was it.
Fast forward a bit. Get to the parking garage at the hospital. Can't find a single parking spot in the whole entire 5 levels they have to offer. Every single spot is taken. We eventually end up on the roof top due to no other option. Walked two kids thru snow and ice while wearing heels on the exposed roof top to an elevator in -8 degree weather. No biggy. Just enough to make me catch myself griping some more. And trust me, I'm really negative and ticked off by this point. Bottom line, I'm no peach - lets just leave it at that. Far from it in fact. Fast forward a few more steps...God then grabs me by my shoulders, shakes me a bit, tells me to quit being the whiny, obnoxious little baby that I'm being, and to take a look around and find something to be thankful for RIGHT THIS MINUTE.
I step inside the hospital doors and have my ah ha moment for the day. Reality hits. I look around and look around some more. I've been to this hospital a hundred times over again since Kenidi's diagnosis. However, today was especially tough for me. There were tiny babies and children everywhere. Sick ones. Deathly ill children. Some dying of cancer. Some with multiple tubes and machines running out of their noses, out of their stomachs or abdomen area, etc. Some were lethargic and not even alert. Parents pushing wheel chairs or pulling them in hospital wagons. A few were behind walkers, barely getting to their destination. Each room I passed had a story. The lab had sounds of crying babies and kids as we passed it. They were there for more blood work-more tests-no doubt. This was life for them as they knew it. I.felt.ashamed.
I was ashamed of myself for allowing the enemy to convince me that my day sucked thus far. I was ashamed that I allowed Satan to take such control over my life in the hours leading up to my walking thru that hospital door that for a split second, I thought I had it sssoooooooooooo bad! I was ashamed that I was too lazy to walk thru the cold with two kids without the griping transpiring in my head. I was ashamed that I rushed people along in my mind that I felt were driving too slow as I attempted to get to my destination. I did this in my healthy vehicle, with my healthy legs and healthy mind, with my 'almost' totally healthy children. Yes, Kenidi has a diagnosis. Two of them actually. Epilepsy and hypotonia. Therefore, she isn't as totally healthy as Brennen so to speak. However, we don't have life near as bad as some of those families who walk the halls of Riley hospital on a daily basis. I.was.ashamed.
God shook me and shook me good today. My shoulders and upper body are still rearing from the shaking I received this morning. When we left the appointment, it was a few minutes after 12 noon. We walked outside the elevator doors to the 6th floor rooftop of the parking garage and wouldn't you know it...the sun was shining. Yes, it was still -8 outside but the sun was shining Internet. I had a renewed attitude. God has a grand way of making that happen when he wants it to - and when we are willing to admit and take ownership for the fact that we are babies and should be ashamed of our pathetic cries due to how much we take life for granted. I was a big baby this morning. A 33 year old big baby. I cried over weather, I cried over too slow of drivers, I cried over the fact that I couldn't get a close parking spot in the garage and instead ended up outside on the rooftop, etc. I cried like a baby over things I could ultimately control with the help of a good attitude while hundreds of others cried inside a hospital over things they COULDN'T control. Cancer ridden children, babies with heart defects, children born without limbs who can't walk, trauma injuries that left their kids lifeless, and so on. Those are things worthy of crying and whining. Those are things that constitute the title of a "bad day."
So...it's 3:35pm on this Thursday afternoon and I have a different attitude than I did this morning. I'm ashamed that it took me having to feel "ashamed" in order to bring me to this 'ah ha' moment. Shame, shame, on me. I got over my bad self, got over my gripe with the snow and ice as well as the slow drivers, and now I'm home, relishing in my two "almost" perfectly healthy children.
The even more dramatic part to this attitude adjustment??...take a peek at the photo above one more time. When I got home and uploaded it to my computer, I discovered something odd but sooooooo God. Yes, it's a God thang'! The picture I took started out to be a negative prelude to the story about the numbers that read -8 on my dash. However, when I got home and uploaded the shot to my computer, that was the last thing I noticed in the image. What was the picture about now? Go ahead...take a look again. I NOW see an image caught in time that reflects the bright rays of the sun shining (which I never noticed until walking out on that roof top after our hospital appt.) as well as an image of my turn signal flashing left at just the right millisecond to make it look as though its pointing to the sun and its glory filled rays. If I didn't know better, I would've thought that the turn signal arrow was a photoshopped in arrow that was deliberately pointing to those rays. However, truth is, it wasn't photoshopped in. I look at that shot now and think..."look what you missed while griping about your silly woes this morning. You missed the gorgeous sunshine and all of its gorgeous-ness." This in turn, is typically something I never miss - the sun I mean. I always notice the sun. ALWAYS. Today I didn't though - until God shook me by my shoulders and told me to look around and find something to be thankful for RIGHT THIS MINUTE! Not only am I thankful for my two "almost" perfectly healthy children but I'm thankful for a God that keeps on loving me even in those moments when I neglect him and all his glory. I'm thankful for a God that continues to keep on taking me back after I slack off and don't give the relationship what I should. I'm thankful for a God that never turns to me and finally says..."We are so broke upAngie!"
We serve an awesome God. A big, big, God. Big enough to still put me over his knee and spank me when necessary. I've got the bruises to prove it. ;)
Have a great evening everyone. I know I will. And as I always say...Keep smiling and keep your face toward the sunshine. If you don't see any sunshine...make some!
No, look again. That starfish from the beach mind you, isn't resting on white SAND.
It's resting on white SNOW. Snow that currently owns my front porch.
Just confirmation that hypothermia has officially set in here in Indy today. The high is supposed to be 18 degrees today with a low of zero. Yeap...zilch, nada, nothing, zero!
Again I ask myself...
"Self...What is wrong with this picture?"
Stay warm.
Ang
PS...As an attempt to help you warm up, check out the Angie Seaman Photography "photo of the day" today. Close your eyes and just pretend you are there too. Click HERE to view.
Just a little snippet or example of why I love photoshop so much. I spent some time playing with it this weekend after not having logged onto it since before leaving for Christmas vacation. I 'moseyed' around in there and found a new way to enhance an image and give it that "70's surfer feel" as I like to refer to it. Ha ha! It is a great look for all of the beach pictures that I intend to make into canvas wraps for the photo wall in our house.
But then...when you really want to get down and funky - maybe a bit "grungey" as I call it...you can also add this...
So fun. So so fun! Photography is a never ending learning process. There is a 1,000 more things to learn about and be creative with as each new day passes. It is that factor that never allows me to get bored with images or photography in general. Each day is different. Each image can look one million different ways or take on a thousand different looks. Photography...food for the brain. Seriously - it sooooooo is. I'm very ready for my next photography class tomorrow morning as well as more of my photoshop classes. The sponge in me is going crazy and misses the soaking up in the past three weeks. I think it's an addiction. Really, I do. :)
I'm off to run some much needed errands today as well as ship out a couple more orders that are done. We had a very busy weekend filled with basketball games, snow and ice, dinners with friends and family as well as with our builder and his wife, snow and ice, hunkered down veg out time at home, snow and ice. You get the picture at this point right? Snow and ice. Aside from the photos above giving me beach withdraw & sending me into convulsions right now...my sewing employee/great friend, Karen, gave me a 2009 beach desk calendar as part of my awesome gifts for Christmas this year. For every new day, there is a new beach shot. I LOVE IT! However, she WILL get her paybacks for the torture she has thrown at me as I sit here and have to look at that calendar day in and day out. :) Shame on you sista' - shame on you. Your right...next time you just need to go with us to Naples. Maybe then you'll understand the depth of your torturous fun. ;) Wink wink! Love ya 'gur-fren!'
We touched back down in Indy at 6:20pm last night.
I stepped off the plane in my flip flops. It was a mere 26 degrees.
I rebelled! Flip flops or bust. Let's also mention that Brennen came home in shorts.
He rebelled as well and I allowed it.
Go ahead...call CPS now. We don't care. We are just kind of crazy like that. Crazy kind of family. And gosh knows we love being crazy. (Hence, the song. A great one at that. Turn up your speaker volume and enjoy it while reading this) Craziness!
Back to point...who cared about who was staring and whispering. We were being rebels together. Mother and Son. Love that!
We woke up to snow this morning. Don't love that! Nope...not so much. In fact, I detest that part. I was almost disgusted when I saw it. In fact, not "almost"...I WAS disgusted! How do you go from 83 degrees with sun, sand, and palm trees to 26 degrees, with snow and sleet in a matter of 2 hours? What is wrong with this picture people?
Either way, I got this in my email inbox earlier and had to share. It's from Kenidi's teacher. You know, Alison? The one I speak about on this blog from time to time? Here is what part of her email read:
I’m including a picture from this morning’s SuperTarget field trip. Miss Kenidi has been super tired today and conked out on the way back. (on the bus) I snapped a quick picture to send you…it was too cute to pass up! Hope you’re having a good first day back home. :)
It appears as though our little Miss Kenidi experienced a bit too much R&R over the past 2.5 weeks while we were away. I'm sure she was dreaming of funyons, blues clues, dances with daddy on the beach, musical chairs on the lanai, etc. right at that very moment. Hysterical! Sleeping on the bus...Does it get any better than that? Well, maybe if you were sleeping on the beach. Thanks for taking the time to send this picture to me Alison. Brent and I cracked up. Too funny!
Either way, back to making orders, shipping them, doing a boat load of laundry, putting away suitcases, waiting for 2.5 weeks worth of "held" mail to show up from the mail lady(oh joy! - Not!), and simply missing the noise. The bickering amongst siblings. The mouth of a 9 year old. The scenes on the beach from a 5 year old with special needs. The ringing of my husbands cell phone(constantly). Yeap, just missing it all. Just when your brain tells you that you've had enough and your ready to kick your family to the curb after 2.5 weeks of being together 24/7, your heart kicks in and reminds you otherwise. Brent sent me an email this morning that read nothing but "I miss you already."
Made. me. cry.
Truth is...he has only been gone at the office for 7 hours but I miss him already too. I miss them. The kids. The monsters. The little hellions. I miss them and they've only been gone a few hours. Like I told Brent when I replied back to his email, "the silence without them here is now almost deafening." I find my heart extremely heavy today for the Travolta's as I sit in this silence. Just me, God, and the silence. Praying for their peace. Praying for their unexpected horrific silence. Just praying!
This is what our last day on the beach looked like yesterday. Blue skies, a hot 83 degrees, white sand, kids playing, etc. I took Brennen and we hung out and did some Mommy/son time alone. See little Miss Kenidi doesn't understand that the ocean is too cold to swim in this time of the year. On numerous occasions this trip, she has dove in the water, clothes, shoes, and all in an effort to swim with the fish. Ha ha! Brent has then had to go in after her in his clothes, shoes, and all. Thus, why Kenidi will be coming home without a brown bean tan this trip. She stayed home most afternoons with Daddy, having lunch with him, watching continual episodes of Blue Clues with him and playing musical chairs outside in the lanai around the pool with him. Brennen got in the ocean up to his knees a few times but for the most part, the water was just too cold. So yesterday, Brennen and Mommy spent 4 hours oceanside just playing in the sand, tanning it up, and closing our eyes as we embraced the last few hours of the waves crashing against the shore before we have to return home.
There was hardly anyone around. Just us and our Beach B/F/F's (the birds). Yeap, they made one last appearance in hopes of getting "Paparazzi'ed" before we go. And boy did they ever. Many of them did fly over stunts for us and everything this time. Too fun to watch. It's amazing to me how close they come to my hands and my lens. I think they are so used to people on the beach that they come right up to you like its nothing. We are sticking with the story that they just enjoy strutting their stuff in front of my cameras and that we are all B/F/F's because of the photo ops I give them in exchange. HA! I mean let's face it...they are celebrities here on this ol' blog. Right?
This shot above was a group of pelicans that continued to fly overhead and in formation all afternoon long. They were so beautiful! And below...I captured a seagull coming in for a landing all while almost taking out another one of his own pals.
The image below is of a single pelican flying right above my head, doing what they do best... Looking stunning!
Although this next shot below was caught on the fly and left me unprepared, I still love it. Look at those wings. You guys know how much I have a love affair with all things "wingy." Hee hee! :) He came in for a landing right at my feet and I snapped the shot right before his little legs hit the ground.
And this little dude below kept bringing around things in his mouth. He tried to eat everything in sight. I caught him with this something or another and thought I'd share it here too.
This seagull below isn't really as close as it looks to my head like some of the previous shots. Thank goodness for telephoto zoom lens. I love my glass. They are so good at capturing images like this one that are impossible in a normal situation.
And there he went...flying right past us. Up in the sky with the planes and all. How fun it must be to know that God blessed you with wings. What a view they must have every second of every day...
Then lastly, these are my favorite red long beaked birds. I don't know their technical name but I do love them. I call them "Red" when there.
Here are two of my favorite houses shoreside on Bonita Beach. You should see the front of these bad boys. They are stunning homes. The owner of the white house was out on her top balcony while we were there yesterday. She was yelling down and talking to an older couple that they obviously knew on the beach. I wondered if she knew how blessed she was to wake up to a view like that every morning. Gorgeous!
Here is Brennen doing what he does...hanging out with Mom in the sand.
I thought that I might order canvas wrapped prints done in color or possibly even black and white of these next few prints below. I have a large wall in our great room that is craving some large prints. I plan to make it a photo wall with all of my photography pictures captured of the kids, the beach, and so on during our vacation memories thru the years. Beings that our new home is decorated in a beachy/cottage feel, I thought these close ups of hands and feet in the sand will be great for the photo wall collection.
My toes won't be on the wall though. Of course not...no way jose'! I don't mind putting them here though - in small print. :)
For now, I'm off to finish packing. It's 9am and our flight leaves for home at 3:45pm today. I'm sad and heart sick to return back to Indy's winter weather. However, in the end, it is home. Normally I'm ready to come home by the end of each trip. This time however, I'm not. I really hate leaving this trip and bringing it to an end. I just wish I was a beach shell sometimes...able to stay on the beach 24/7, swim with the dolphins, sun bathe in the rays, etc. Beings that I'm not though, I guess the shells will have to remain there along with our Beach B/F/F's until we return again later this year. They are always lonely without us. I'm sure of it...
Thanks for sharing this vacation with us. I've enjoyed being able to share with you all. As always, please pray for safe travels tonight as we fly home. If all is on time, we will touch back down in Indy at 6:30pm on the dot tonight. I'll update tomorrow from the comforts of home.
Mother Nature is really playing a very sick joke on all of us Hoosiers this winter. We had record degree temps for February this past week. Some days in the 60 degree mark. And yes, as mentioned earlier, warm enough for me to break out the flip flops on a couple of occasions. Same with some other 'flop obsessed souls' too. I looked to the left of me when paying in line at a store the other day and sure enough...another gal was standing there sporting her 'flops' too. We laughed together and rejoiced in it.
The kids and I are thankful today for 6:30am automated phone calls from the school Superintendent saying, "Stay home...it's a snow day!" Brennen immediately began to ping off the walls and ask "What are we going to do today, Mom, what are we going to do?" 
(Brent 'hearts' her)
Oh today is a bitter sweet day for us here in the Seaman Family. Today is the day that our home on the South side of Indy will officially become someone elses. Yes, our home down south sold and the new family took possession of it today.
We spent many summers by the pool with friends and family. This backyard held some great parties and some incredible laughs. I have many a photographs of friends goofing off on that slide. I see them in my head as I flash thru these old pictures today.
Brent had the landscaping there at the house in superb condition. If we heard it once, we heard it a thousand times, in regards to people stopping to compliment our yard. We were known in the neighborhood by some as those people with "that yard." Or some called us the "mum" house because they remember our yard one fall when Brent had these HUGE mums planted all over our yard. It was always too funny to hear people go..."Oh you are the ones that live in the Mums house..." 
Yeap...this is exactly what I looked like as I woke to my 9 year old telling me that he was about to miss his bus. I failed as a Mom this morning. Horribly! I can't remember - ever in my life - over sleeping for something. (Well...maybe for high school once or twice back in the day) To put it mildly - I'm embarrassed and kicking myself this morning. UGH!
Ever had them? If you haven't, then run to your nearest grocery store and grab a box to make like right now. My aunt got me hooked on those as a young girl and I'm still obsessed with them all these years later. Now my kids beg for them too. I'm off to start making those as well as plan my attack on that snow outside with Big Papa in hand. I am bound and determine to get pictures of the kids out in this nasty white stuff today. We got 11" overnight last night with more falling as we speak. This is the most snow I remember getting in Indiana in a really long time.
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