Life in Light

Curly Barney Watching.

2012-01-10T22:15:00.001-08:00

Today my little tot was free and curly. I snapped this photo when she was seriously into Barney on PBS.

I was inspired by her careless happy and untamed hair do. She originally had one curly puff at the top and I took it down and poof there it went. She didn't mind me fluffing it out. I was about to tame it and put it in two braids but her older sisters were suggesting with excitement that I leave it as is. I was hesitant but said oh well ok after looking at her shake her head with the biggest grin, untamed it was. It was one of those moments that I found my self wanting to be that care free kid again who had no idea of what is "acceptable" or "tamed." I remember being this way as a kid. No don't mess with my hair! In fact my sister laughed when I told her my daughter loved her loose do as it took her back to when I would just want an Afro so I could go play. No bows, no rubber bands, no pig tails nothing, just hair and the poof! Good ol memories. I do think I'll let her do this more often. My little sunshine put a smile on our faces today when she was all carefree. One day it might be gone in *poof* until then we enjoy moments like this. Now, back to the Barney watching....

Christmas Shopping

2011-12-21T08:28:00.001-08:00

Christmas Shopping, originally uploaded by tscullen.

We took our family out to go Christmas shopping one night. Yes all 7 of us were out and about. We were shopping for the little tots and decided to go to babies r us. While shopping along we had baby Fia in her travel system stroller. I just so happen to notice the lighting was great in the store for pictures! Now I'm not sure this is good in all cases but it happened to be that night. Any how our sweet smiley face was just so cute I had to snap this photo.

Introducing Baby Fia

2011-12-06T13:36:00.001-08:00

I know it has been a while since I've actually added to my photo blog. I do apologize for leaving for a year. A few things have changed. We've had another precious little one. Her name is Fia Serenity. She is 2 months old now and such a joy. It amazes me how much new life depends on us. I take delight in my privilege to care for this beautiful and delicate life God has found me worthy to have. Life is such a precious fragile thing, yet so important. Holding our baby is such a blessing. I look at our priceless baby and she melts my heart.

Happy Christmas and Many blessings!

A Dirty Smile

2010-11-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

So this is our dining room table on this grand lazy Saturday. We do plan on being productive but later on in our own timing. This picture above provides a challenge for me. I want to clean it. I look at it and think, "Whoa! I'm a bad house keeper! That needs to be put away... why is this on the table anyway? Who put that there? What in the world is the toilet paper on the table!?" Yes there is toilet paper on the table it's beside the hole puncher, hidden by the laptop screen.In fact between the time I took this photo and posted this blog the table has gotten messier! I could go on and on about how this picture makes me cringe. I'd love to have a model display home. One of my favorite things to do while building our home was to browse display homes at a home builder sites. It made me smile, sometimes. It made me laugh at times too. Mostly I got ideas of how I'd like my dream home. Everything was in place. The house was clean, it smelled good and it looked good! Even if I wasn't keen on the decor, the house was clean. I like a clean home. I struggle with that. In fact it's a new phenomenon with me. When my kids were toddlers I wished for a clean home but rarely had one. Now, I wish for one and its become a slight obsession at points. It's not at the mysophobia stage but a unclean home still bothers me. So as you might get by now, this picture above would make me miss what it actually means.

Yes the dining table is messy. My girls are making crafts and busy with doing their things they find fun. They are smiling, talking, amusing themselves in a healthy way. No they aren't sitting reading a book, or making the whole world change. They are making my world change for the better. So when I take a second look at this photo, it makes me smile. It makes me laugh too. Oh it will be cleaned up at some point today but for now I'll let it be.

I originally meant for this to be an entry on this blog but didn't notice which blog I was posting to when I clicked "publish post" so this entry is also on my general blog. It's not the greatest quality of photos but I've decided to leave it since it sort of works.

Jedi Tutu

2010-11-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

Let me see here....

I'm getting the hang of this big brother!

Betrayal!

I recently made a no sew tutu for our littlest one. She seems to enjoy it quite well. Her big brother is such a great playmate. He's got a big heart for his little sister. Being such a Star Wars fan Adrian decided to come down in his Jedi robe with light saber in hand. Helaina took to the light saber and wanted to try her hand at it. This one makes the motion noises so she was quite amused with it. We enjoy seeing these too laugh and goof off around the house. He does keep her laughing as well as she keeps us filled with joy.

Great Bentley

2010-10-24T12:25:00.001-07:00

Great Bentley , originally uploaded by tscullen.

While in England I got to enjoy a walk around the town center in Great Bentley. The scene of blooming flowers adds so much beauty. I marveled at the care and consideration the residents of the towns in England took to beatify their town.

Beach

2010-10-24T12:21:00.001-07:00

Beach, originally uploaded by tscullen.

Our little one turned 1 in July. For her 1st birthday we took her to celebrate with her grand parents in England. We all enjoyed our visit. One of the places we enjoyed was the beach. Our little one quite enjoyed the water.

A Photo Series

2010-02-24T09:09:00.000-08:00

Oh look my favorite letter basket...

I have an idea...

I'm going to spell

Now let me see here... L... O... V... U...

Oh wait I dropped my paci

O goes in the middle...

Are you sure this is how you spell it?

Did it! I love U!

Enjoy your day.

Light.

2010-01-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

Some times God uses one person or a simple thing to show you light in the midst of darkness. Are we beings offering love, hope, and positivity to others in crowds of darkness, or are we just another being in darkness going unnoticed while following the crowd?

It could be a simple smile at a stranger or opening the door for someone with their hands full that gives a spark of hope in another life. Little acts of kindness shine God's light upon darkness. We all have the ability in us to illuminate our lives, our spaces and our relationships. It's our choice to stand out or fade out.

Live Well

You Can Do it!

2009-11-21T10:09:00.000-08:00

You know, life is amazing. It is simply amazing. God really gave us such a gift in children. We start out in the womb a tiny spec depending on our mothers to care for us. This dependence lasts through out life but as we reach each stage and milestone, we grow and depend on her less often. We become independent early when we start to talk, walk, form our own opinions, dressing ourselves and so on. We learn so much from watching our parents. We take on their looks, some of their personality traits and habits. Our parents are a big part of our make up. It doesn't matter if they were the worst parents on earth, they either taught us what not to do in life, what to do in life, or if we are blessed, they have taught us both.

Parenthood is something unexplainable. It's a journey no one knows of until they step foot on the path with their own child. It is truly a blessing to be a parent. Yes we do have our down periods of stress and uncertainty but then there are those joyous moments we live for. You know, when they do something that either makes us laugh, or warms our hearts. Focusing on the positive will make the journey enjoyable. Focusing on the negative only makes the journey difficult. We have enough of that difficulty from other things in life that robs our attention. Lets focus on the great things God has instilled into our children. Lets focus on their talents, desires, needs, accomplishments, potential, goals, and other things about them. Lets speak positive things about them and to them, for our words will come to be true in them. We all have negative things about us. No one is perfect, no parent or child. It is our decision as to teach our children to grow beyond their challenges. Lets teach them to achieve, continue to to fight the good fight, strive for being the best they can be, go for their dreams and be good. I can some times get caught in the parenting sucks rut. I was in a negative fussy mode last night. This day I'm starting a new mind set. Positivity is a focus.

While my children are growing up I realize that one day they will not depend on me as much. I'm going to remember the moments when they were trying with all their might to learn to lift their heads, talk, walk and so on. All these memories will warm my heart when they are no longer around depending on me for their every need, because they will be depended on by their very own children. I pray I send them on with a positive legacy because parenting is a priceless journey. Stick that tongue out and try with all your might to make it a journey you'll treasure.

Happy Birth Day Helaina

2009-07-28T03:50:00.000-07:00

Birth is such an amazing miracle. From the very beginning the process in which life comes about is fascinating. I am truly amazed at how two microscopic parts of the body come together to form such a beautiful being. The woman's body that houses and nurtures this process, I believe is God showing us how magnificent he is. The whole week by week journey of life is brilliant. It's a fascinating continuous discovery. We still don't know everything their is about human development. The whole miracle is so complex I don't think we ever will completely understand it. We just stand in awe about how our lives begin so small and precious.

This little girl is my baby. She was born on July 22nd at 9:54am weighing 9lbs 8.8oz, length 20.5 inches at 39 weeks and 3 days. She has been a source of pure joy and happiness in our household. We are very blessed to have her here with us!

Delightfully Disappointed

2009-03-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

Our twin girls have turned 11. We are simply amazed at their growth and achievements through out the years. It keeps catching us by surprise. Life is a beautiful precious gift and each year we turn a year older we should celebrate. It is easy to celebrate a child's birthday. We as parents are delighted when our children reach another year. While the children are excited about being older, I celebrate making it through another year of parenthood! Birthdays can symbolize growth and maturity in both parent and child. We love watching them reach their milestones and grow far beyond our expectations. We love to help them through their are struggles. Parenting helps us grow and become stronger and wiser. Our children are precious to us. As they learn from us, we learn from them. So when the girls asked to go to the London Tea Room for their birthday it was surprising, a bittersweet feeling touched my heart. We enjoyed the day with them. Trying different teas prepared the way the British do was such a treat. We were delighted to see that they were mature enough to choose a place like that for their birthday. A bit of disappointment came when the reality of them growing older was facing us. I think back to the days when the girls were babies, when I would cuddle them and they didn't have a urge to run off and do other things. They just sat there and enjoyed being held by mom. Although I miss those days, I do enjoy sitting and talking with them over a cup of tea.

Curves

2009-02-28T21:48:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Curves from a stairway banister caught my eye. Sometimes beauty can be found in objects that are often overlooked. Take pleasure in the world around you.

Snow Day

2009-01-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

Wednesday January 28th was a wonderful day. Snow fell over night and we woke up to a fluffy white blanket of snow. I tip toed outside to enjoy the scene before the family got up. The snow wasn't disturbed. The sun was shining on the white grounds which provided a brilliantly bright winter day. Although winter is my least favorite season I couldn't help being amazed at the winter wonderland. I knew it was a very temporary scene so I embraced all I could with a few photographs. I am simply in awe about the change of seasons. I always loved the snow which is very odd since I loathe cold weather. Snow is different. It's beautiful. When I step outside I feel as though I have stepped into enchanted painting created by almighty God. Everyone was home and we were blessed with a warm house.

Later on the family went outside to enjoy the winter white blanket that lay on the front lawn. After a quiet morning and afternoon the snow was greeted with excited kids ready to create and play with it. We had a wonderful neighbor come over to help shovel the driveway. The amazing thing about him is that he stopped because he simply wanted to help. It was a great display of a wonderful helping heart just for the sake of helping. While my husband and neighbor shoveled the driveway the kids tossed snow balls and trampled through the huge hill of shoveled snow.

The front lawn was a wonderful scene of laughter and good will. After the driveway was shoveled, we all got together to build a snowman. The kids invited the kid next door to help too. All the giggles came out as they gathered snow to build their highly anticipated snowman. The snowman turned out to be a simple one but one made by a group of people who really enjoyed God's gift of a snow day.

One Powerful Button

2008-11-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

Nature is such a beautiful blessing. I shot this photograph from a golf cart. It is our future back yard. We are so excited to have the opportunity to live close to such beauty. The other day my husband saw a buck resting on our lot of land. We are fascinated by watching the wild life roam. The value of nature came to me in an Art History course I was in. There was a photo series on how man had replaced nature with highways and roads. It was a eye opener for me to appreicate nature and life. The class was about Photo in Society which taught us about how photography has changed society by reveling life as it is. Ansel Adams did it with his breath taking photography of Yosemite, Ed Weston photographed the every day object and revealed to us beautiful form in his Natural Studies photos, Lewis Hine photographed Child Labor laws into existence. Photography is a powerful tool. It simply reveals life as it is. The person holding the camera has the power to capture any moment in time creating a photograph that may even out last his or her own life. Beware of the power in which a shutter button can hold. We can change lives with photography. Be wise and make a positive change. Live Well.

Presently refecting the past in St. Lucia

2008-10-02T22:57:00.000-07:00

The past is set in stone because can't be changed. The monumental St. Lucian stone grey arch presenting its self in the foreground is a part of old British fort. It's massive presence holds stories that no one alive today witnessed. It is a historic ruin of the some what mysterious past.

The present, unlike the past, isn't set in stone. It can be changed at any moment we choose. It's much like the bright smaller arch in the background because those arches are made of a less durable material making it easily remodeled or changed. The new arches lead visitors to an educational center that reveals the story of the past massive stone arches of the British fort. We always have the opportunity to examine our past and learn from it. Our past may not be as monumentally visual as these arches but it's always present in our memories and thoughts. We can recall them in seconds or make them thoughtfully monumental as we wish. Good or bad memories, our past is only a few thoughts away.

We are always presented with opportunities of learning providing us growth. Most of our learning can come from the past. Yes, there is always new technology but it's achieved by looking to improve things of the past in motivation of making our present lives easier. We can learn from our past or refuse to and make its cyclic mistakes. The beauty of the future is the ability to constantly create a pleasant past. Our history can be rich and interesting or shameful and disappointing. The great thing about this is, we have the power to make it so by our daily decisions.

What's your legacy going to be?

Camera Reflections of a Wal-Mart Mom

2008-10-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

Self awareness is a matter of individual moments. One moment I feel decent, the next I feel like Shrek. This photo is a self portrait. Is it reality? It depends.

You see, my self image is poor. It is hard for me to take compliments. I don't feel the mirror reflection is a beautiful image. I never have. I admit that. I've felt it since the age of 5. My sense of self awareness began there. I remember not feeling as pretty as the other girls in my kindergarten class.

I am not very photogenic so I decided to practice. My inspiration comes from the photography legend Cindy Sherman. I learned about Cindy Sherman in an undergraduate Photography class. I found self fulfillment in striving to get my Bachelors Degree which helped provide a distraction to my internal battle. While seeing myself as dime a dozen "Wal-Mart Mom," I found myself inspired to conquer my fear by mimicking Cindy Sherman's idea of self portraits.

What was my fear? I was afraid of people merely looking at me. Coupled with poor eye contact, my worries of what people thought when they saw me haunted me. It still does. During my high school years I wore baggy clothes to blend in and fade out. Attention made me uncomfortable. Why? Because I saw myself as ugly. I said "saw" as though it's in the past. It is not fully behind me.

Self image is so fragile. So be cautious of your words. One negative comment can shatter a person's self image into so many tiny pieces that it's impossible to completely repair it. I still struggle from comments of the past. Women tend to carry those deep. Men do too.

Although I have a love for photography, the camera was also my fear because it confronted me with a raw self image. I've racked up a fair share of bad pictures throughout the years. I've left a trail of horrible school photos. Now, I fiercely try to avoid cameras possibly being pointed at me. Sometimes I can't but if I can I will! I figured I got beat with the ugly stick and there was no help in site.

The age of enlightenment came when I saw Cindy Sherman's photography. She used her self as a subject. I thought, what a fun concept! She offered a view of self image in a different perspective. It was creative and inspiring. So I decided to do what I would have never thought I would do, a Cindy Sherman inspired self portrait. The photo above is me. It's me playing dress up. It was fun. It was partially freeing. It was theraputic.

Will I ever have a healthy self image? Maybe. I'm surely working on it...
_0306257E-72, originally uploaded by tscullen.

Ruins and Nature

2008-08-07T23:27:00.000-07:00

Ruins and Nature, originally uploaded by tscullen.

Potted Plant

2008-07-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

Potted Plant, originally uploaded by happybeans76.

This plant is resident on our front porch. Summer is here and flowers are in full bloom. Enjoy the nature outside, it's here for a season. Beautiful and amazing, the sun has powerful benefits to all things. I tend to be happier when I'm outside. The effects of the sun are amazing. The sun has both beneficial and devastating effects, but without it life dies.

summer play

2008-07-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

As a child, playing is what you do. I find joy in watching my children at play. I can't resist the amusement of imagination and giggles. They get dirty and smelly but to me that is a sign they had fun and played hard! They create, pretend, imagine, and live out vibrant fun dreams in their brilliant minds. It's a freedom short lived by the fast approaching adulthood. This summer day I pushed that adulthood aside for my children. We drew pictures on our sidewalk and driveway. As cars passed by we sent neighborly waves and scenes of brightly colored artwork with them. As we received waves and neighborly smiles, their faces reflected a pleasant feeling while seeing the children turn ordinary cement into a refreshing colorful mural. Although it's all temporary, it was a benefit and refreshing to let all things go and play. After all my kids need to know their mom draws the best chalk blobs in town! My daughter's feet after playing were covered with sidewalk chalk. It was a joy to live and capture this moment in photo.

Back Yard Animals

2008-07-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.backyardanimals.blogspot.com/

This is a very neat photo blog please visit it.
This young man has an excellent photo blog of his findings.

The Gift of Family

2008-07-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

These figurines were Father's Day gifts from the kids. My family is precious to me. I see them as a wonderful gift from God. Through my family he has shown me the essence of love and life. I'm well pleased to see them smile and enjoy life, excel and achieve their goals. It moves me to tears of joy when they freely show love to others. I invest time in my family to insure that they know they are loved. Virtuous time, not money, bribes, or material things, but virtuous time solidifies my affirmations of love. Yes parenting always presents a challenge, but the gift of family is well worth over coming that challenge.

Trees

2008-06-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

Trees at the park. Simple trees at the park? For many it may be but for us this is a memory. My son's baseball team played at the field beside these trees. They were beautiful and serene standing in the midst of noise from the baseball game. I wonder how often these trees go ignored. It took me a couple of games to notice their beauty myself. Lately I've notice the natural beauty around us. I've tried to stop and notice the magnitude of our world around us. We have a privilege to live daily in an environment that is awe-inspiring. Simply look around and notice what's around you. Enjoy it. It was created for you. It's a sign of the undying love that's repeated faithfully through out time.

3 clubs

2008-06-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

Fun! Golf! Yes!! 25.00? Yes Please! What a bargain! Finding things at yard sales can be an invigorating adventure for some. These are actually youth golf clubs. They are perfect size for me although I'm well past my childhood. You can say I got the short end of the stick on height but that worked out well in this case. I like yard sales. People organize and assemble their goods to sell off the things they don't need for good prices. Growing up my mother used to go to yard sales. As a child I remember going to various homes and seeking surprising treasures that were of no longer of use to others. As a child my treasures were toys of course. My mother's focus was to collect brass. She found some good pieces. She took them home, cleaned them up and they were as good as new! There is a different side of yard sales though, we walk away with a deal, however the family selling items receives a boost in their budgets, and they clear their homes of unneeded items. They don't add their unneeded items to the landfills, they've passed them on to another gifting a bit of joy to those who sought a treasure. Golf anyone?

good morning

2008-06-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

good morning!
This cup of coffee has been a regular part of my mornings. I enjoy coffee. I prefer mine with flavored coffee creamer. I recently went decaf. I went off it cold turkey. I wasn't a nice person for about two weeks! I had a constant headache and I was intensely irritable. The side effects did eventually stop and the cloud cleared. I feel better that I'm not defendant on the morning dose of caffeine. Good achievements come with a bit of endurance. It's easy to fall into bad habits careless and unhealthy living. It's all around us usually readily available with excuses included. Temptations feel good while deceiving us. Soon after accepting and embracing the deceptions we fall. We look in the mirror and see the effects of careless pleasures. At times we don't even have to look in the mirror we simply feel it. Whatever the vice, it usually comes at a price. After falling to a careless way of being, it takes a consistent conscience effort to get back to a better quality of life. The endurance is hard to sustain however the outcome is far greater and beneficial than any deceiving vice. After the experience of going decaf I realized the work put into it is small compared to the benefits I'm reaping. This sort of ordeal applies in other areas of life. A quality of life takes time and endurance. Deception is readily available, it's our choice to resist and reap the benefits that prevail any temporary pleasure or caffeine jolt!

It's that feeling you get when ...

2008-06-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

you finally sit back and relax

Cracked

2008-05-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted photos in a while. I am regretful, not only for not updating my photo blog but for missing out on the pleasure of taking photos. Sometimes life gets too busy, we forget our hobbies and the things we enjoy. We set those things aside to do things that need to get done. Life becomes the mundane business as usual. As we pass through life, enjoyment evaporates. Life gets dry, the daily troubles and tasks makes us some what bitter and blue. This is when we must stop ourselves and remember what makes us happy, what makes us smile, what puts joy in our hearts. We have to realize we owe ourselves happiness. We deserve it, desire it, and need it. If we don't nourish our lives with healthy pleasures that provide us with true joy and happiness, we become cracked. Without true happiness life is fragile, unstable and will eventually crumble.

paths

2008-02-12T17:48:00.000-08:00

pathway out

Dirt Bike splash

2008-02-12T06:43:00.000-08:00

My daughter after riding through a deep puddle of muddy water with her Uncle on the 4 wheeler.

Clarks Farm

2008-02-09T06:33:00.000-08:00

Granary Bed and Breakfast - Kelevdon UK.
Clarks Farm has been in the family for 100 years.

Cold on the Golf Course

2008-02-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

Golfing in England felt like this today.

I see you!

2008-01-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

He caught me taking a photo of him. I was trying to be silent, but the shutter sound went off.
He was working in his hand writing book.

30

2008-01-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

30 KPH on the island of Martinque
I like this photo. I was thirty when I took this picture. It makes me smile because it's loaded with great memories.

Water

2008-01-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

My water bottle on the floor board of the car.

Aussie Christmas

2008-01-03T09:14:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend Janet sent us a box of Australian Christmas ornaments. I'd say we had an Australian, British, and American Christmas! Thanks Janet!

The Joy of Swings

2007-12-30T19:59:00.000-08:00

My son at a park in England
Photo taken March 2007

Swinging Shadows

2007-12-30T19:57:00.000-08:00

The girls swing casting interesting shadows on the ground

Photo taken March 2007 England, UK

Pigeons

2007-12-30T19:55:00.000-08:00

Photo taken March 2007, London England

Colchester Castle

2007-12-30T19:53:00.000-08:00

Photo taken March 2007

Merry Go Round

2007-12-30T19:50:00.000-08:00

The kids walk around the merry go round
Photo taken March 2007

Adrian

2007-12-30T19:44:00.000-08:00

Enjoying a cold day at the beach in the UK

A walk on the beach

2007-12-29T19:46:00.000-08:00

Adrian walking away from me after the close up shot

Army of Snowmen

2007-12-17T19:24:00.000-08:00

The kids made this series of snowmen on the railing of the deck in the back yard.

Umph!

2007-12-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

He hits his sister with a snow ball... TAAAAAG!

snow foliage

2007-12-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

First snow of 2007.
OFallon, IL

Jack and Simba

2007-11-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

JackandSimba, originally uploaded by happybeans76.

Our 3 year old Black lab shares a toy with our 7 week old Yellow Lab. The Chocolate lab is probably some where stealing a sock.

Bear

2007-11-12T19:31:00.000-08:00

Our 7 week old Labrador Retriever, Bear loves to take our socks.

Field of Flowers

2007-03-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

Angela walks in a field of flowers at a park in England.