You Capture - Vibrance

This week's You Capture topic is Vibrance.....
Do you think this photo fits the bill?

You Capture - Youth

I am a week behind with this post! Ooops! But I am joining in with Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry for her You Capture. Last week was "Youth." I thought this photo was perfect. Logan and Elijah came to play for a few hours. So the trains HAD to be pulled out!!!

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March Photo Day Take 2

March 16
Spring Break in Iowa! Kennedy scootering with Papa Doug!!


March 15th
An early birthday celebration for Kennedy at Grandpa and Grandma Janke's house!!! Yummy cake!!



March 14th
My little reader! I love watching her! I am truly amazed by how much her reading has improved just since August! She is starting to read beginning chapter books and it blows my mind! She really comprehends what she is reading and enjoys each story!
March 13th
Oops - didn't get a photo in this day. :(

March 12th
Sleepover with her friend, Taylor. A new favorite activity is washing Barbies in sinks! Go figure!!


March 11th
Just a cute shot of Quinn. She is getting plumper for sure!!!!

March 10th
Playdate with friend Ava! They were practicing their writing skills! :)

March 9th
This is the scene at doggie dinner time each evening! Kennedy's chore is to feed them. When she grabs their bowls and heads to the garage to fill them, they run to the garage door and stand at attention!!!


March 8th
Quinn! Finally enjoying eating her baby food! Hooray!!!!!!!!

Embrace the Camera

I am joining a new weekly blog link-up. So, yes, I take at least a photo a day. But VERY rarely is a photo taken of me. I am the one behind the camera 99% of the time. And to be honest, I like it that way. I would rather now have my photo taken, much less look at those pictures! Anyone with me?!

But Emily over at The Anderson Crew has challenged bloggers to get photos of themselves!!!! And post them! Yikes! But I want to do it so I can show my girls that I really was there for all those fun memories!!! Regardless of whether I like the way I look, my daughters won't really care! Years from now they will just enjoy the photos! No make-up, no biggie. Dark circles under my eyes - hey that is reality! So I am jumping in this week!

We took the dogs to the dog park for the first time this year! And it was Quinn's first trip as well! I can still remember taking Kennedy her first time! She slept the entire hike! Not Quinn - she was awake and not enjoying her infant carrier! Thought you wouldn't know it from the camera! :) You can see Copper in the background shaking himself off after a dip in the lake. I realize I am not looking at the camera, but it is a start! Excuse the "dog park" clothes, the gross pony tail, and my old glasses. :) Just keeping it real I guess!!!


Feel free to join in at Emily's blog HERE!

Laundry much?

Laundry. It is actually one chore I don't mind doing. Which is a good thing since there is always so much of it! I have used several different laundry products over the years and haven't always been brand loyal.

A while back I signed up to be a Purex Insider. We have the privilege of trying out products before they become widely available to the general public. Fun, huh?!

Last week I received a sample bottle of their Purex Crystals Softener. I will admit here that I don't normally use fabric softener (EECK!!)
My skin is quite sensitive and Kennedy's can be as well. So I had cut that out of my laundry routine. But I decided to give the Crystals a try. And I was happily surprised. I have used it on all my loads in the last few days and am loving the smell! YUM! It was super easy to use - just pour it directly into the machine. And best of all, none of us have noticed any skin irritation from it!Here’s the game-changer for Purex. Purex Complete Crystals is 92% natural, not oil based. Other fabric softeners, both liquid and sheets are oil based. (Did you know that?! I never knew that!!) They coat your clothes in a thin layer of oil, which build up over time. That’s why your towels aren’t as absorbent after using an oil-based softener. Hmmm...never knew that either - did you?

You can use Purex on your towels, sportswear, and performance wear (like wicking fabrics, etc).

You can also use it on children’s sleepwear! Purex Complete Crystals is the first major fabric softener that is 100% safe to be using on children’s sleepwear because it does not interfere with the flame retardant coating on the clothing.

Purex Complete Crystals will also help your whites to stay white, and your brights to be bright. When you wash with an oily softener, that oil dulls the material and causes it to pick up dirt and other debris that will not wash out. Purex Complete Crystals is 92% natural and not oil based, so your clothes will last longer and look better. Just the thought of all that gross oil on my clothes kind of icks me out!

Wanna give it a try? Head to their Facebook Page HERE to get a coupon for $1 off your purchase of Purex Crystals. And check out their website HERE.

Even better, leave a comment here on my blog for a chance to WIN a coupon for a FREE bottle of Purex Crystals! Leave me a comment telling me what you currently use to clean your clothing.

For additional entries:
1) Subscribe to my blog via RSS reader or email (see my sidebar) and leave a comment telling me you did so.
2) "Like" Purex on Facebook

Please leave your email address in your entry so I can contact you if you win!! The giveaway will run until 11:59pm CST on March 12th.

*Disclosure: I received a sample size bottle of Purex Crystals to review. I was not compensated monetarily. All opinions are mine.

More Photo a Day...

March 7th
Kennedy is reading Quinn books! Kennedy is so excited about reading - she loves to read to Quinn!


March 6th
Coupons, coupons. I currently searching for a new way to organize mine.

March 5th
Jeff took this photo! He and Kennedy playing Jenga. We got this game from Aunt Barbara and Kennedy is LOVING it!

March 4th
This was Sam's 3rd birthday. It was a rainy afternoon so we didn't make it to the cemetery. But this is the cake Kennedy and I made for Sam!! She wrote "Sam is 3." She had a blast getting it ready, singing to him, and offering him a bite of cake (by holding her fork up to the sky).

March 3rd
Kennedy and Taylor had a play date today. The weather was sooo nice! I walked Quinn while they scootered!!!

March 2nd
Just Between Friends Consignment Sale! I spent lots of time there during the week and weekend!!!
March 1st
The weather was fabulous and the sun was shining! Kennedy and I decided to paint our nails out on the deck. Copper was sunning himself right beside us so I decided to paint his nails too! Kennedy thought it was the funniest thing ever! So she painted his back paws and the painted Izzy's! Can you tell on of Copper's feet is blue and the other is green?


February 28th
Gymnastics!!! This is Kennedy and Kennedy being silly!!!! It was the last day of their 2nd level class. I wanted all 4 gals to get their photo together, but only two cooperated! Of course the Kennedy's were all over having their photos taken!
February 27th
I. Hate. Cleaning. Bottles. And. Nipples.

three

1 Samuel 3:4 Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

Did I ever share this verse with all of you? Well, I call it Sam's verse. And the crazy thing is that he was born March 4th - 3/4. And check out the verse..1 Samuel 3:4. Some might call it coincidence - but I call it God. :) This was just one of the ways God showed me that his hand was all over Sam's short life and his death. This verse has brought me such peace. I think back to the night we said goodbye to Sam. He was in Daddy's arms when he likely heard the most amazing sound - God's voice calling him home. So he went from the arms of his earthly Daddy directly to the arms of his heavenly Daddy.

Psalm 34:18
¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

So Sam would be celebrating his 3rd birthday today. THREE. Can that even be right?! I often wonder what he would be like. Would he have his Dad's dark brown hair or my light brown hair? What about his eyes? We never got to see his eyes open and I have always felt bad about that. Would Sam be a talker like Kennedy or more reserved and quiet? What would his favorite activities be? Would he spend hours coloring with Kennedy or would he rather crash monster trucks together? Would he terrorize the dogs? What would his bedroom look like? Would he be a picky eater? Would he be a good sleeper? And now I get to wonder about how he would have reacted to his baby sister, Quinn. Would he be jealous, loving, indifferent? Really, the questions go on and on and on.

I have a few friends in my life that have boys that were born in the months before and after Sam. It has been interesting to watch them grow and change the last few years. In the first months after we lost Sam, I would be deeply intrigued with any little boy I guessed was around Sam's age. I vividly remember one afternoon being at the playground in the mall with some friends and our kids. There was a boy that would have been close to Sam's age and I just stared at him nearly the entire time. I couldn't take my eyes off him. It was terribly painful to watch but I was mesmerized. I think I might have even cried a bit. My brain wanted to daydream about how my Sam would be similar and different. However, that just was like pouring salt in an already gaping wound. But as the days, months and now years go by the pain begins to dull a little. Watching little boys similar to Sam's age doesn't hurt as badly as it used it. Sometimes I will still get that deep, sudden stab of pain - the kind that literally takes your breath away - but it is fleeting now, where it used to last and last. Don't get me wrong, I still grieve. A lot. But it is just different now.


This time of year is always hard. Often Sam's actual birthday is a much easier day than the days leading up to it or the days following it. 2008, 2009 and 2010 produced wonderful weather days on March 4th. But this will likely not be the case today. But Kennedy (and Quinn) and I will still be taking balloons out to the cemetery.

1 Peter 5:10-11
¹⁰ In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. ¹¹ All power to him forever! Amen.

My sweet friend Nikki recently shared a song with me. She and I both have powerful reactions to music and have used many songs to help us work through the grieving process. Well, she gave me a copy of the entire CD and I have been thoroughly enjoying it. It is JJ Heller's new CD "When I'm With You". I have been singing the song 'Olivianna' over and over since she gave it to me. I will share the song and lyrics with you...take a listen if you like. (and one more thing....in the song she mentions that Olivanna lived 11 minutes....Sam lived 11 hours)


Olivianna - JJ Heller
Hearts broke... when your heart stopped beating
I don't... know if mine will ever stop bleeding
Eleven minutes to breathe you in
I felt the darkness
When I knew I couldn't hold you again When I knew I couldn't hold you again
Olivianna, you're in the arms of God
Just a moment there is better than here
Life is... short, but it is wide I know it's true
You've touched more souls Than most people ever do
Olivianna, you're in the arms of God
Just a moment there is better than here
You could not stay with us
We will come to you
You could not stay with us, ooh
You're going home, Love, where you belong
Oh my baby girl, I'll see you soon
Olivianna, you're in the arms of God
Just a moment there is better than...
Olivianna, you're in the arms of God
Just a moment there is better than here


Happy Birthday my sweet boy. We love you and miss you every day.