Today she is 17! The beautiful 5lb 13 oz, itsy bitsy, teeniney baby I brought home from the hospital is 17 years old. How? When? I just cannot even imagine. This year she begins her jr year in highschool, such a small amount of time we have to help them learn and grow into the incredible adults God has created her to be. I am blown away by how blessed I am to be her mother. Yeah she drives me nuts, yeah she has quirks but my goodness this is one cool young woman. A young woman whose heart beats for her creator. She loves God with everything she has in all her life and I could not be more proud of her.
Well, this seems to be turning very personal these days. That is okay with me. I enjoy sharing my little family. I promise I will get back to posting more sneak peaks and sharing all the fun pictures but for today I want to tell you all about a little blessing that came my way this morning. I was on the phone and looked out my window and saw a small group of ladies. They stopped in front of my home and appeared to be praying. It hit me that they were probably prayer walking and I was so touched I wanted to run out and thank them. They went on before I could do so but just felt a grattitude for their selflessness and wanted to tell them so. A couple of hours later I glanced out the window and saw even a larger group of women walking by and ran out to ask them. I was indeed correct. They were out praying for the people who live in my neighborhood. They had also been to area schools and prayed for the children who would soon be walking the halls. What a selfless act to give of yourself in such a way. They were so gracious to huddle around my family and I and to pray for us, to encourage us and to even love on us. What a blessing. Truly a blessing. So ladies if you somehow find this little blog, I am the single mom you prayed with this morning. Know that my heart is so grateful. You will never know how much I needed our little visit this morning. May you continue to be blessed as you bless others!
When I left my 9-5 job as a speech language pathologist, I did so because I felt like God was leading me in a new and exciting direction in my life for some very specific reasons. One reason being because I needed to learn to fully rely on God (FROG), I had become complacent always knowing exactly how much I was bringing in and exactly where it was going. It was like clockwork no room to rely on Him for the unexpected. Another reason being I had always had a deep desire to be home with my kids. Teaching them, loving them just being with them etc… I love being home with them, I love the whole creating things from scratch, baking bread and sewing clothing for them. However, in the last few months what I realized was that I let life once again take over, overwhelm and bombard me. One of the dangers of having to be both Mom and Dad to the 3 of them is sometimes I go too far in one direction or the other. I tend to worry so much about the neccesities that I feel like I have to work constantly to earn the money needed to run the house (hmmm what happened to FROG?) So I end up at the computer constantly editing or creating some templates to earn money. I had stopped doing everything I had initially been called to do. So for the past few weeks I am working myself back into it and OHHHHH what fun! I have made a commitment to spend sometime each day “just being” with my 3, guiding them into the people God has created them to be. We have been reading books and playing games etc. Last night we took a picnic to the beach park and then walked across the street to the beach for a couple of hours. That is actually the second time this week we have done something unexpected. I didnt even bring my camera this time so I could be completly dedicated to them. I was wishing I had at least a point and shoot because Ethan was rather brave. He brought me 4 sea nettles and picked up a hoarse shoe crab with his bare hands. They found a handful of hermit crabs and tried to build the ultimate sand castle. We had a blast!
This is the conversation held between my 4 year old (zoe claire, aka. zc) and my 16 year old (Miss Madison, aka mm) In mm’s bedroom last night.
ZC - I know who died on the cross
MM - who?
zc - Jesus
mm- why did he die?
zc- so even when I dont behave very good I still can go to heaven
mm - thats right
zc-where does Jesus live now?
mm - well when you ask Him to He lives in your heart
zc - Let me listen to your heart
mm - giggles and says ok
zc - listens momentarily- thoughtfully looks up and says “Its not workin’ “
mm - well you hear Him from inside once He is there
ZC - well, I want Jesus to live in my heart
so there sat my two girls, the oldest leading her baby sister in the most important prayer she will ever in all of her life pray. My heart is full!
ZC was brought into our family through adoption. When she came home it was quite unexpected. I was already a single parent to 2 great kids and had no intention to add to our family. It was a set of circumstaces that unravelled like an old scarf. It took on a life of it’s own and was totally unstopable. It was God. I have no doubt He created her just for us and us for her. In all the business of life sometimes I second guess everything, no regret but just wondering if someone else could have done a better job for her, could have given her more, but in this moment, this very moment I know it is how it was meant to be. ZC knows she is adopted and for months now we have been having major discussions about her birth mother and the various circumstances that would make it nearly impossible for a birth mother to raise her child. I do my best to allow God to direct those conversations never wanting to lay more on her than she is capeable of understanding at such a tender age. In our discussions I have noticed heaviness, burden and even a bit of sadness but tonight as I looked into her eyes, the window to her soul, I see peace and contentment. Yes my heart is full!
Just had to share.
The following exerpts are from the blog of Michelle Sylvia - The Blackberry Briar
“Yes, Taxi service…..Oh Golly, I just decided that I am no longer an artist. Isn’t that a wonderful thing? I thought so too. No more crazy funks. No more mood swings. No more crying spells because my work doesn’t sell. Best of all no more messy countertops cluttered with paint and projects! Yahoo!
What’s that? Oh no, I haven’t always been an artist. Not until my daughter was born 7 years ago. I discovered fabric, and then paint and it has been a growth process ever since. Some ups and LOTS of downs.
Well anyhow, I am officially quitting as of today. Please send me a horse and buggy. I am wanting to go out and celebrate. I live at 17 Blackberry Briar Lane. My name is Michelle Sylvia. Yes, I sell dolls. Yes…..Oh……… YOU enjoy my work????? You don’t think I should quit? Well, thanks for the compliments. It is the compliments that have kept me going, given me the drive to push and the “want” to succeed. I just don’t think that I can handle the pressure anymore. The let down.
Well, the buggy is here…..
I am off to explore life outside my studio. Yes, I will probably return……As much as I have tried to shake the artist in me, I can’t. It is as much a part of me as my laugh and my brown eyes……Maybe I should just create for myself and my home……Give up on selling. Well, as I said the horse and buggy have arrived and are waiting. You have been such a big help. Thanks for the chat. Whatever I decide, I’m sure I will be in touch again”.
Does Everyone feel like this, or IS IT JUST ME??????”
For years I have struggled with the exact same sentiments Ms. Sylvia writes above. I am surrounded by people in my life who are not artists, People whom I love and I know love me, but none the less people who’s minds do not work the same as mine and subsequently do not understand my constant struggle with myself. For years I have thought Iwas abnormal, I felt as though I needed to conform to others ideals of how I should behave, keep my surroundings, “opperate” I have in a sense been at war with myself, but as I delve into the world of other artists I am coming to accept me as me. Realizing I am who I am, who God created me to be. If my mind were cluttered with the need and desire to operate any other way it would not feel free to create, or visualize the art constantly moving through my head. So all this leads me to wonder what is “NORMAL”? Who set the standard for being normal? Some guy in a white coat who determined how my life should look from the outside? Dont get me wrong, I will not use my “artist brain” as an excuse to shrug my day to day responsabilities but I will from here on out respect the way it works and come to terms with “me”, I will no longer veiw my need to sit and sew for hours on end or edit photographs all night as a curse. Instead I will see it as the gift it is and respect those days adjusting my day to day doings accordingly. I will recognize that those creative spurts are what keep me - me and be greatful for them. I will no longer deny the artist in me but instead learn to live in harmony with her and use her to give glory to the ONE TRUE GOD who created her to be.
Praise you God who is the one creator. The one who created me to be an artist the one who has created each of us to be individuals and unique that we each might be of service with our gifts. Thank you God for helping me to come to terms with me as YOUR incredible creation!
The G triplets met me at the inner harbor for their yearly portrait session. I love being allowed to watch them grow. They were so much fun this year. I think it was “t” who referred to me as “aunt sara” and he wanted to hold my hand at one point. Such absolute cuties! Thanks Christopher and Sara for allowing me to capture them each year as they grow! It is such an honor to be chosen over and over to create these special memories! Both of the boys have their eyes closed in this one but there are more with them open too. I love this one of “k” Ohhh and you can expect me to be recomending sessions at the inner harbor. It is a beautiful, beautiful spot. Dont know why I never thought of it before!
We were very blessed as a family to be invited to spend sometime with some friends on their family’s farm. The “old place” has been in the family for over 100 years. I was so fortunate to be able to sit with Mrs. Stanford and hear the history of the home, it’s contents and the couple (her grandparents) who had lived there all their married life and raised their family in the home. I will be adding more later and I plan to offer some of these prints in the fine art section coming soon. Who would have thought this “city family” would have enjoyed the country sooo much. There is so much to be said for simplicity. My children didnt look at a television or play a handheld video game the several hours we were there and I never once heard a complaint from them. Instead they learned about the land, about animals and insects and they have not stopped talking about it for 3 days. I would say it made an impact! Thanks Stanford family we enjoyed our visit!
These towels are great. really really great! Just enough fru fur to make them feminine but not enough to get in the way. They are wonderful for when you get out of the shower and you need ot ge tyour hair and makeup done, or for girls in college dorms, or even at the beach over the swim suit. They are secured with buttons so there is no velcro to mess with out of the washing machine. They are selling for $20 and if you do not live in Jackson Co. MS there is a $5 shipping charge. Please include your shipping address with your order. These are made to order and you have the option of colors.
Well, I am going to take my little blog beyond my photography and into some of the other irons I have in the fire. Recently, I have opened the doors to two new ventures. One is called “Tip of the Tongue, Custom verbiage for the Professional Photographer” I will be offering to write up brochures, pamplyts, flyers, sales promotions, and website text. In addition to custom verbiage I have also but together general text that you can use in preparing your own client materials. So any of you photographers out there in need of some text you can get more information by CLICKING HERE
