A (belated) Friday's Flashback

I didn't really have a specific reason to take pictures of doors while we were in England, but I did none-the-less.  I like doors, and I always like a good red door, especially when it's the back door into a castle garden.

A Picture-Editing Kind of Day

I have really enjoyed being able to work on pictures more today and learn new things.  My last project of the day is a picture of Ella I took when we were trying to figure out the whole, "make your own lens hood with a shape cut out of it" thing a couple of weeks ago.  Our star wasn't perfect, and it showed in the picture, so I tried to help it out a little with a brush tool I found in Photoshop Elements (PSE).  I know it's not perfect, but I liked Ella's expression, and I felt like sharing my projects today.  It's a combination of real stars and stars I added in there.  Ta-Da!

Before

After

I just thought that was kind of a nice transformation.

The Unexpected

I was awakened out of a sound sleep this morning at 4:15 a.m.  Ella was at KJ's side saying that her ear hurt and she needed to go to the bathroom.  She was also hot, she said.  I let her go to the bathroom, checked her ears, gave her some water and ibuprofen just in case something was wrong and put her back to bed.  She told me this morning that she went back to sleep quickly.  I was glad because she had to go back to school today.  I, on the other hand, did not go back to sleep.  

At 6:30 my alarm rang (or should I say sang since I was using a cell phone?), and I crawled out of bed in a fog, trying to accept what God had ordained without becoming bitter over my lack of sleep.  As I stumbled into the kitchen to find something caffeinated, I heard James whimpering in his room.  It was early for him to be awake, and when I lifted him out of his bed I said, "Oh, no...".  He was hot with fever.  I took his temperature, and 101.3 earned him some ibuprofen as well.  It was hard getting Ella up and going.  She was sleeping hard, but when it came down to it, she was excited about going back to school and cheerfully ate and dressed quickly.  I was thankful for that.

So day 2 of my job is postponed, and I'm so thankful to my mother-in-law for stepping in on that front.  James temperature has soared to 103 for the second time in a month, and I am so sad for him.  He is drinking and ate something this morning so for that, too, I give thanks.  And though I didn't think I needed it, I'm receiving a low-key day with gratefulness.  It just dawned on me that perhaps I should take a nap, but if I nap now when will I exercise?  Maybe when KJ brings Ella home...perhaps a nap will be in my future after all.  

In the meantime, I've been reading online photography tutorials and picking different pictures to try new things on.  Here are the results of my work thus far:

That's C.S. Lewis' grave in the foreground.

Two cool dudes at KJ's birthday party

Our friend Jeffrey actually took this picture, I think.

Unexpected as this day has turned out, I am enjoying the quiet.  Do pray for James' fever to go down, though.  I really don't like it when it gets this high.

Life on a Tuesday

There wasn't time for blogging this morning because I started a new job today.  Here he is.

He loves his mama.

We had a good first day together.  Ella doesn't start back to school until tomorrow so I had three kids today, and I enjoyed it.  Ever since my first job back in high school, I've found that having a job makes me more diligent and intentional with my time, and I truly get the "good feeling" Andy told Opie to shoot for.  Just watch that conversation between Andy and Opie at the beginning.  It ends after about 3 1/2 minutes, and it's classic.

Today was a good day.  The past several days I have felt very rich in relationships and overwhelmingly thankful for the people in my life, as well as so many other things, big and small.  If I had to pick a theme verse for the year I think it would be these:  "Be joyful always.  Pray continually.  Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Among many other things, today I find myself being grateful for:

• friendship with Michelle
• James' smile and laughter
• God's unconditional love for us and the chance to give that to Ella even on her whiny days
• KJ's love, encouragement, and support of me
• jogging (What!  I've been jogging again.  It makes me feel amazing.)
• solid words of truth (Be still my soul; thy God doth undertake to guide the future as He has the past.  Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be bright at last...Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay from His own fullness all He takes away.)
• my favorite yogurt going down in price 30 cents a package (It's the little things, people.  By the by, did you know in England they spell it yoghurt?)

As aforementioned, Ella starts back to school tomorrow, so it will be an early start for us all.  I need to go to bed a little earlier tonight.  I wonder if I will.  At least we got the kids in bed early.  I'm responsible enough to discipline them, but I need KJ to make me go to bed.  He's so brave to make me, because I usually pout about it just like Ella does.  Some things never change, do they, Mom?

Monday's Memories: Arundel Cathedral

Monday's Memories have been overshadowed by major holidays for the past couple of weeks, but I thought I might squeeze one in before bed with an introductory peek into the village of Arundel.  It's pronounced "Air-run-dull."  You don't want to walk around England saying, "A-run-dale" or anything else equally embarrassing. 

When you say it correctly, it sounds just like something out of Middle Earth.  It's a beautiful name, and a quaint little town.  We were headed for Arundel Castle, but we had to park rather far away, so our first glimpse of magnificence was the cathedral.  It took my breath away.

Groups of chattering women kept stepping off of buses and walking inside.  We peeked in at the door and saw a sign that read, "Parish Wives Convention."  I don't really know whose wives they were.  All the wives in the parish?  Just how big was this parish?  There were a lot of women in there.

One of my favorite things about taking pictures in England amidst all the old buildings was the light.  I loved seeing it shine through arches and the tall windows of houses.  We don't have such grand windows in our own little cottage.  They let in an abundance of natural light and magnificent views.  And you know the English are all about a good view.

His 29-teenth Birthday

Last night we gathered at the local pub (i.e. CiCi's Pizza) to celebrate KJ's 29th birthday.  It was a lovely night of enjoying each other and celebrating my husband.  Lord of the Rings' fans might appreciate his birthday speech.