Amazing simply Amazing!!!!!!!

So let me tell you about something amazing. When I was a little girl my grandma always left her nativity scene up year round but baby JESUS was removable so all year the manger would lay there empty then Christmas morning he would be in the manger. I so wanted a nativity scene where baby JESUS was removable but if you have really looked at them now days he is glued in the manger. I searched and searched but couldn't find one like my grandma's. A day or two after Christmas a few years ago I had found a broken one where Baby JESUS was broke out of the manger and a few other pieces were broke but I didn't care cause JESUS and the manger were salvageable so the following year I had replaced the pieces that were broke. I then carried on my grandma's tradition. Every year I would wrap Baby Jesus up in tissue paper and pack him up with the Christmas stuff and do as my grandma did. Well this year was different cause when I unpacked my decorations Baby JESUS was no were to be found. I told only one friend and her response was you better find him. So Christmas came this year and Baby JESUS was no where to be found so I thought I stood up on the fireplace to get the kids stockings down and low and behold Baby JESUS was laying in the manger right where he belonged. I turned and looked at Brann and said Thank you babe for finding baby Jesus and putting him in the manger. He had this look of cluelessness (making up my own word) on his face and said I didn't do it so we turn to the girls and ask them if they did it and they sure didn't do it. Christ will always be part of our Christmas even if there is or isn't Baby Jesus in the manger. I welled up with tears I was simply amazed.

WEEK FROM HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honestly when do us moms get a break? I have been going through a real rough time lately. I honestly feel as if I'm going to have a nervous break down. It seems as if OUR JOB is NEVER done it's always something. I have had a week from HELL............. Sunday I just realized I scheduled Katie's bday party on the same day and time as the van buren Christmas parade so I had to go and get More invites cause you know half of the kids wont show do to the parade and half her friends being in girls scouts which they walk in the parade every year. WOW I don't even remember Monday as if it never even happened, Tuesday Chasyn was into every thing and I mean every thing he even climbed up his daddy's Big Chest of drawers and pulled it over on top of him. I was so freak out thinking he was really hurt but turned out the Good Lord above protected him and he only had a scrap and a bruise, Wednesday My Church class had been pinging off the walls which normally they are a great group of girls (4th-6th) We have been practicing for our Christmas program and they just went crazy finally I had to yell at them to get them to listen they had no clue what was going on cause I had never yelled before also all night Katie kept crying over little things I thought but to her they were mountains. Thursday took Chasyn to the Dr. the poor kid has gotten no sleep since Monday night we sat in the waiting room for an hour then we sat back in the room for a half hour his apt was at 9:15 am and we ended up leaving like at 11:45 come to find out he has bronchitis yeah the crankiness is only going to get worse then tried to get some shopping done but didn't happen they girls were begging for everything in sight and Chasyn my little monkey from Tuesday kept climbing in and out of the cart......yay what fun that was. Then today Chasyn was up at the butt crack of dawn and was cranky I was dealing with chasyn so much I forgot to tell Brann happy birthday before he left out for work. Got the girls to school with chasyn SCREAMING AND CRYING the whole way Thank the lord it's only less than a mile it might not even be 1/4 of a mile what do you think Christina? Then the little rug rat lost my freaking phone and I didn't even know it when I found it I had like 25 missed calls great how many of those people think I was ignoring them? I pick the kids up from school we head to town to get the stuff to make daddy and the ball team cup cakes I get everything and head back to cedarville then I had to bake with a 2 yr old attached to my leg the whole time. Finally we get the cup cakes done and head to practice I really needed to get some things done so that I could be ready for the basketball team pics I'm going to be taking in the next few weeks but no I couldn't get that done Chasyn was bothering the other kids and one of them let me know how much he was bothering him and he wasn't nice about it at all I shouldn't have been shocked I've had run in with this child and his parents before and so has other parents and children so I know it wasn't just my child. I dealt with it as long as I could before I said something I would have regretted. I picked Chasyn up and told him to leave them alone and let them play but do you really expect a 2 yr old to understand that other kids don't want him around. One of the moms of one of the other kids went and got some toys for Chasyn to play with but by that time I had enough and was heading to the car with him. She tried so hard to help but I just wanted to get out of there I was at my wits end with him. I appreciated her trying to help and I forgot to tell her that and I hope she knows that. Finally I calmed down and decided to head in when that same little boy along with his friends and my daughter came outside and said we're done playing so bring Chasyn back inside. I was hit wrong by that it seemed like he was giving me permission to come back in the gym. I know he is only a child but it just hit me wrong so I just sat there and waited on my kids to come out with a friend. My friend that tried to help with chasyn came out and talked to me and she told her son not to bring they toys again I told her honestly I was never told by her son that my son was bothering them and I know this family good enough that this child would come to me or his mom and say something So then I felt bad because he got in trouble because I just left instead of dealing with the one child and parent that needed it. And on top of things Brann never showed up to practice after all that hard work on the cup cakes he never showed up. I believe I have rambled on way to much and I know the grammar in this is horrible so please over look it.

Please tell me it's not just me!!!!

I think I might be losing my mind!!! This past weekend my kids decided that they were going to be heathens so in turn they missed Kayla's best friends bday party. Brann left out to go deer hunting ok no problem but the kids all of a sudden wouldn't listen. I was at my wits end with them I kept threatening "We won't go to Hanna's bday party" but they knew I was a push over by this point. So Sunday comes and we get up and get ready for church no problems so I'm thinking OK maybe they decided to be good...........I was so wrong they got worse when they got to church (don't think the chocolate doughnuts helped). So I was trying to corral up my children after church and can't seem to find them then when i did they wouldn't listen. I finally got them in the car ant told them they were NOT going to the party. We get home I'm still fuming but i decided that they could still go to the party well it was time to load up and someone left the doors open not one but 3 of them why they needed 3 doors to get out I have no idea but they did they were open for like 30 mins!!!!! I also have a problem with my car and something not shutting off when the car goes off so leaving the door open 10 mins will make it go dead...............I know it's a problem we NEED to get fixed but the mechanic says it can take days to find it & who can go without a car for days I sure can't. So the kids were so awful, disrespectful, and disobedient that they make it to where they couldn't go to the party. Well I figured I could put the charger on the battery and we'd show up late but I was wrong and I learned a lesson from God. Stick to my guns what I say goes no matter what and I should never give in to them just because. I always give in to the kids just to make them happy but intern I end up the one that isn't happy and in a bad mood because of whatever they did. The kids kept on acting up till Tuesday when daddy came home and they HAD to MIND. But then my dear hubby left out again Thursday but he took Kayla with him so I had to two that don't seem to get along. They fought and fought and drove me crazy!!! SO this whole week I had been in a bad mood only because I let my kids ruin my week . I really didn't enjoy my birthday either because I let my kids being obnoxious and my hubby not helping out with the kids more ruin it even when we went to dinner i thought maybe he would let Chasyn sit by him so I could enjoy the evening a little bit but I was sooooo wrong i dealt with the little Turkey all night. I just need to stop and realize that I need to be grateful with what I have even if my kids are rambunctious and don't mind at least i still have my kids. I can hold them and kiss them anytime I want to. I can tuck them in at night. I am grateful for my children but I take it for granted some times. Back in Feb my brother in law lost his little boy ,that was only 4 months older that Chasyn, He wishes he had just one more day with his little boy because he put his job before his kids and family so he never really seen them. The morning he went to wake up his little boy and take him to the store to get his normal Saturday morning sucker he had passed away in his sleep. The part that he regrets is he had been out of town that whole week before and when he came home that Friday night he was home in time to put his kids to bed and that was it. That was the last time he saw his son alive. He now stays in town and don't leave more than one night. I just need to be grateful my children are healthy and are able to drive me crazy because there are people put there that would give anything for just one more day with their children. Thank you Lord for giving me these 3 precious and beautiful children.

Photography is my Passion

So I haven't been on here a lot lately due to me trying to create & print up flyer's and business cards oh yeah also trying to get my web page just the way I want it. I hate that I haven't blogged much but I guess I haven't had the time. I took my kids out in our back yard and did a quick photo shoot of them which they turned out great!!! I'll post some pics later. The more pics I take the more I fall in love with photography. This past Saturday I took pics of our wonderful friends the Mooney's, it was a blast Christina. I want to post some pics but I'm going to leave that up to Christina to show the ones she likes. Hey Christina I would love to get Hanna and Mikayla together and take a few pics. I have to tell you guys my hubby has been so great at pushing me into doing this and letting me get out to do the photo shoots all by myself and if your like me you know how hard it is to get out of the house without ANY kids. He has been amazing through all this set up he has even been handing out business cards and putting up flyer's and doing all he can to help make this work for me. I have been thinking about something lately and was wondering if you oh so wonderful friends would help me make my mind up. Our church has started a building fund for our new church, I was thinking of a way to help raise money for the church I have two ideas and was wondering if you ladies would mind to put your two cents in. My first idea was to have shirts made up that said "I helped " on the front and on the back "build Cedarville AOG" and sell them all around town (just to let you know tee shirts are a big hit in this area) But then I had another Idea that is more me I thought maybe setting up a day to open the church for a photo session for any one and everyone to have pics taken and all the profit go to the church from both of them. The second idea really wasn't mine I remember when I was little our church doing this same thing to raise money and it seemed that the whole congregation came out to have pics taken. anyways I need to get off here and help with dinner.

Photography in the making

Sorry my mistake

OK ladies I now know what was wrong with the link for my web site I got to looking at it and sighed well DUH I spelled photography wrong!!! In that whole lat post I spelled it right and all but when it came to the most important part I went and spelled it photogrhapy. So the link is now fixed and it can be used to get to the right spot now. Sorry my bad

Everlasting Photography

So during the Little League Homecoming Brann took it upon himself to run his mouth like he always seems to. I have to give it to him this time it was for my best interest, he befriended the photographer and talked the poor guys head off. Anyways they were talking about me and photos and how I take so darn many then go and get copies and hand them out AT my expense. So then the photographer wanted to see some of my photos and for some odd reason brann had my camera he commenced to showing him some of my work. Well all in all I ended up getting a lecture from both Brann and the Photographer about why I always seem to just hand out my work for nothing and i could be doing something with it and making some money to pay for my equipment. I sat around for a few days and then we went to pic up Katie's pics from Jay Dee's photography the guy asked if I decided to do anything. SO him and his wife gave me some prices to get things done and not charge so much so that I can build up clients, had me start my own web page and get business cards. All in all it has been a lot of work but I'm starting to feel it all come together and I'm praying that this is where God wants me to go with it. I'm still a little
iffy but I know that is just Satan trying to bring me down and take my hope away. This is something that I am very passionate about and absolutely love doing it's kinda my ex scape away from it all, it might even be my sanity.........ha ha ha I don't think us mothers know what that is anymore. OK well here is my site if you would like to check it out

http://www.wix.com/aoden1/Everlasting-Photography

Hope you enjoy it

Lets give it a TRY!!!!!!!!

These are a list of question that you must answer w/ one word answers.It's harder than it sounds, trust me! Forwarded from other bloggers!
1. Where is your cell phone? Table
2. Where is your significant other? Recliner
3. Your hair color? Brown
4. Your mother? Loving
5. Your Father? intelligent
6. Your favorite thing? Camera
7. Your dream last night? bunches
8. Your dream/goal? schooling
9. The room you're in? Kitchen
10. Your hobby? Photography
11. Your fear? losing
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Happy
13. Where were you last night? Football
14. What you're not? Girly
15. One of your wish list items? debt-free
16. Where you grew up? Everywhere
17. The last thing you did? colored
18. What are you wearing? pj's
19. Your TV? Broke
20. Your pet? cranky
21. Your computer? need
22. Your mood? aggravated
23. Missing someone? lots
24. Your car?clean
25. Something your not wearing? shoes
26. Favorite store? Kohl's
27. Your summer? short
28. Love someone? lots
29. Your favorite color? GREEN
30. Last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? days

And the Homecoming Royalty are!!!!!!

OK so tonight was homecoming and it was a big mess. It rained till about noon here, So Alicson decided to move it in the gym. Yay we are going to be HOT and MISERABLE. So we get to the football field and again we moved the cheerleaders pics inside so from 1freaking 30 to 4:30 we were stuck in the old hot gym with out any AC. Well we get the pics done and some other parent told me the football players were not allowed to wear their cleats in the gym. I'm already hot and stressing cause Chasyn hasn't had a nap yet and was cranky. I have to go back home to get Kayla's shoes so that she may walk in Homecoming. I get back and she hadn't gotten ready yet. I thought I told her to get ready while I was gone......yeah right her listen to me...... what was I thinking. I then had to figure out why she didn't get any flowers the girls had one to carry and the boys had one on their jersey OK so why did she get skipped. Come to find out the people passing them out thought that she should get the one the other person was passing out so instead of asking her which she wanted they assumed wrong. OK we got the flower thing taken care of then when it was time for her to walk they had her walking in the middle of a football player and a cheerleader and we had talked about her walking her sister in the middle of her and a football player so I had to get that taken care of. I really wish she had nothing to do with homecoming it was a total nightmare. Brann had guard drill and was going to get off work early so that he could be there for his girls, by now I'm so stressed out that I'm really to explode. Brann walked in the door right before they were going to announce the winners so he was able to take chasyn off my hands for a few minute thank the Lord for that. Finally after all the pep squad, cheerleaders, and football players were announced the announced the cheerleader Royalty Which Kayla was so happy the 2 girls she voted for won Jessica Payton and Kara Dickens!!!!!!! OK now 3rd grade football Royalty..........................................MIKAYLA ODEN Yay and Mason Parker. I was so happy for her I was also so grateful her daddy was there to see her win. When I get time to sit long enough to post pics of that night I sure will.

Homecoming

Kayla is in that mess just look real close and find the yellow socks!!! That's Daddy's little Girl!!!!


















Look at her Cheer. That's my little Princess!!!!!






















Well today is homecoming in little league land yay. You all know Mikayla plays football and all. I had a little question that no one could seem to answer for me. Was Kayla going to run for King or Queen? She was a football player so that entitled her to King but then she was a girl and that entitled her to Queen. Football parents said she better run for Queen because she was a girl but then Cheer leading parents said King because she was a football player. All in all it was just the parents not wanting my daughter to run against their kids because they were afraid that she might win because she was standing out being the girl football player. Also I guess they have heard other kids say that "they were voting for Kayla cause she plays football and that's cool" I just found this out yesterday when a parent had told me that their daughter voted for Kayla. I can't believe parents would be way just so that their kid could win. I could care less who won and it's about the kids not the parents. I also found out from that same mom, Kayla was running with the Football players and they were not having King and Queen they were only going to be Royalty. So Mikayla has a chance at being Football Royalty. Woo Hoo who really cares I don't only if my kids have fun doing it. I really hope she don't win cause I don't want a bunch of parents mad at me even though it was their kids that would have voted for her. Katie gets a crown no matter what because she is only a little mascot and isn't old enough to run for royalty so I'm good there. Katie don't care but it makes it all better when she gets a crown. I'll keep you guys posted about homecoming tonight. Pray that everything goes well and no one gets mad if my child does happen to win. My children are royalty in mine and our Father's eyes each and every day.

Grandparents day!!!!!!!!!!!

Mikayla looks forward to grandparents day every year. See Brann's dad lives in Van Buren, it's only like 15 mins from our house, but he's not there very much. Grampy lives in Van Buren but works in Hot Springs and lives there the week and then goes out to his lot on lake Tenkiller on the weekends to get everything together for when we all do come out and stay. This past time we went camping with them we stayed in an unfinished trailer. So maybe next time it will be finished. Anyways when the school has grandparents day he always makes sure he attends. He always rescheduled hearings and other things just to spend that day with his grand kids. It would be nice if all their grandparents would come but Brann's mom and my mom don't think they need to spend much time with our children due to me being a stay at home mom. Which i believe every child needs time with their grandparents no matter what the parents do for a living. Anyways back to to Grandparents day every year they give a snack from back in the day. One year it was moon pies and RC colas, ice cream sandwiches, root beer floats, and this year it was peanuts and cokes. My father in law decided to show the kids what they used to do back in the day. They also had to do what Grampy showed them. Grampy poured his peanuts into his coke and said we used to do this as a kids and it's real good. I had to go up to the school also so that Chasyn could see Grampy too. This year was Katie's first year to participate in Grandparents day and she had no idea Grampy was coming so it was a surprise to her. Mikayla ha just learned something really neat about her Grampy so she was telling everyone that would listen to her that her Grampy got a purple heart in war. She was so excited to learn that one. I have some pics that I'm posting.

Chasyn got a hair cut!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before hair cut!!!!!


After the first hair cut!!!









After the second hair cut!!!

I took my precious little boy to get a hair cut and I came home with a cute little boy I wish I had a pic. I told the lady, whom I know really well I don't know what I want but I trust you!! Ok so all was good Chasyn sat there like a good little boy and got his hair cut. I thought his hair cut was so darn cute it was just a little boy hair cut not to long but not to short either. Well I tried and tried to get Brann to come with me and he said just go and surprise me. So what do I do I go and have his hair cut to where I like it and think it was cute and all but when I got home Brann said he looked like Jr. off Problem child. So this morning Brann wasn't happy with his cute hair cut so we took him back to have it re cut my baby walked out with NO HAIR I cried. Chasyn had such beautiful hair and I loved it. He would also play with his hair as he went to sleep and I was now thinking what am I going to do at bed time. Brann had his hair cut like his a high and tight (military cut). I can't look at my precious little boy without thinking about his beautiful strawberry blonde hair being all gone. Tonight after the girls game Chasyn was sitting in his car seat trying to play with his hair but guess what there was nothing to play with but after driving down to the other gas station he finally fell a sleep. Thank the Lord.

Day of fun and education

So we as a family went out to the Fort Smith History Museum. The kids loved it and they learned so much. Brannon also love the Museum which he has never been too!! Shocker i know since it's been in the area longer than I have been alive. i posted some pics of our wonderful day out as a family. This don't happen much but I think we had so much fun that we are going to start making it a month thing. Our next outing is going to be at the Judge Parker Court house which again Brann has never been too!!!!!! Hope you guys enjoy the pics.

This is the cash register at the soda fountain/pharmacy
Brann and the kids in front of an old car
Katie overlooking antique weapons and tools
The girls thought this was cool they got to see how the phone worked and was able to call each phone.
Garrison way back in the day!!!!!
old Civil War Solider pretty cool

an old military office
Good Old Judge Parker, The hanging Judge
An old house set up
Chasyn really thought something should come out

The girls on the trolley ride

Chasyn and the trolley driver, the driver showed Chasyn how to ring the bell which was a button on the floor.
The girls trying to really play checkers but chasyn kept stealing the pieces
OLD OLD cannon
Kayla thought this was really cool

Dreading tomorrow night

Katie and Kayla had a game Saturday night but due to the weather that was coming from Ike it got cancelled. Little did Ozark know we could have gotten the game out of the way before the weather came our way. It didn't get bad till after 8 and the game was for 5:30. Anyways since they didn't play Saturday we now have to play tomorrow night. I'm dreading driving all the way to Ozark on a school night we won't get back till late because Brann likes to stay for the 5th & 6th grade game also. I love letting my kids play sports and all but when it interferes with school that's when I have to say no more. If we have to play to many more way games on school nights I'm gonna have to have them quit. I just can't handle their grades slacking due to not having time to get homework done or studying done.

Just a few pics I like

Just a random bucket but I love the pic!!!!!!

My hubby being himself (please ignore the shirt)

My niece Savannah
Chasy and Daddy
I think I'm in TROUBLE when she gets older!!! She should be a model (as Jodie put it I have my kid blinders on) lol
Up close and personal, Uncle Randy
Katie's boyfriend Jonathan being silly

The Mooney's and Oden's eating lunch while camping.
Richie he's just too CUTE!!!
This is the family monkey he he he actually this is my niece Bryslin


How sweet!!!! They actualy love each other.

OMG!!! this is only the second family photo since Katie was 2!!!!!!!!!!
They loved the tolley, chase called it a train go figure
too cute!!!!!!

Ktie's first day of school.

Katie @ the church back to school ralley

Chase and his plastic worm Looks like Hanna Banana had fun
Like I said she should be a model
WHo knows what he has Kayla looking at