Family Photo

Would you believe that this photo taken for our church directory is the only current family photo we have? Don't you just love the 80's blue background?? This is why we're heading to Tim Flanagan this summer to have some quality photos done of our family...it's going to cost me my children's college fund to have them made, but at least it will beat this yucky blue background!!

The funny story behind this photo is that we didn't prepare Landrie very well for what we were doing. She' not one to like new experiences or try different things. So her expression in the photo was honestly the best one we could get of her. "Angry eyebrows" were, once again, on display!! She simply did not want anything to do with the crazy photographer squeaking the duck behind the camera! I guess it's rather symbolic of the family dynamics at the Beeler household....

One other funny story....Cody and I had an "impromptu date" last night on the back porch. Time alone is something we rarely get, so this was quite the treat for us to just hang out and listen to music ALONE and just talk. But our alone-ness kept getting interrupted by a very talkative 5th grader! By the end of the night, she was very proud of her "third wheel" status, and even secretly video taped Cody and me on the porch (once Cody discovered her taping us, he quickly hopped up, grabbed me and started pretending we were in a "make out" session)! Afterwards, She let us watch her video documentary and Cody and I were laughing so hard we about cried! She was making comments about her "weird" parents being on a "disgusting date" to talk about "financial problems". It was hysterical! I can't wait until she's 5 or so years older and show her that tape again....it may be something that surfaces on her engagement dinner video one day!!!

She's shaping up to be such a precious kid...her smile absolutely lights up the room and she's pretty funny -- when she doesn't try to be. Now only if we can fix the moodiness.....

Have a great week!

Angela

Wonderfully Wicked!

(Sorry for the low-rez photos...they were taken on a cell phone.) Cody surprised us with tickets to Wicked a few months ago, so last night Kellie-Laine and I went (with a few friends) to Dallas to see the show. I was blown away! If any of you love Broadway musicals, this is the one to see! Cody and I saw Le Miserables two summers ago, so I was skeptical that Wicked could top that....but it did (in a different kind of way). There were a few parts of the show that I had to explain to Kellie-Laine, but I think overall she got the jist of it. We didn't get home until after 1 am (gasp! on a school night??!!), but it was well worth the heavy bags underneath our eyes the next day.

Anyway, I just had to share this great experience with you....I give it 5 out of 5 stars!!! Go see it!!!

Angela

I've been experimenting with my Photoshop Elements software...there are so many things you can do besides digital scrapbooking! I made these calling cards for myself and the girls last night. What do you think? I've purchased calling cards in the past, and they are really expensive! Some go for as high as $2 a card--and all you do is stick it on birthday gifts!! NO thank you! So, I'll have to let you know what I think when I get them printed through AlphaGraphics. I'm hoping that by using a real high quality card stock, I'll get great results.

As for our weekend...it's been pretty hectic! We had two late nights on Friday and Saturday, and everyone was wiped out on Sunday. Kellie-Laine and Cody went to see Switchfoot in concert at Baylor on Friday and didn't get home until after midnight. On Saturday, our friends, Ken and Kristen Hodges, invited us over for a belated "Welcome to the world, Emerie!" steak dinner. It was fabulous food...and I didn't have to cook (which is a wonderful treat for me!). We didn't get any of the girls in bed until after 10 pm, and we felt the effects of that today! (Landrie spent most of the day with "Angry Eyebrows.")

The other big project I've been working on is organizing and backing up all of my digital photos...it is a laborious task, but it's so rewarding to see everything organized! My system is this: I purchased 4 three ring notebooks. Each notebook contains 25 heavyweight sheet protectors. I burn my photos onto a CD and then I print an index page for that CD. The index page goes into the sheet protector, then the CD goes into a plastic CD case with a sticker backing, which attaches to the outside of the sheet protector. Now, anytime I'm looking for a certain photo, I simply look at the index page and voila! The CD with the photo I want is right there. It's pretty time consuming right now because I haven't backed up any of my photos since I've had my camera. But once I get the old photos finished, this system will work pretty well, I think!

BTW: for those of you who were praying for Valerie McCrea...she did pass away a few days ago. You should read the entry her dad posted about her the day after her death. It's amazing and perfect. . .

Have a great week.

Angela

I've been experimenting with my Photoshop Elements software...there are so many things you can do besides digital scrapbooking! I made these calling cards for myself and the girls last night. What do you think? I've purchased calling cards in the past, and they are really expensive! Some go for as high as $2 a card--and all you do is stick it on birthday gifts!! NO thank you! So, I'll have to let you know what I think when I get them printed through AlphaGraphics. I'm hoping that by using a real high quality card stock, I'll get great results.

As for our weekend...it's been pretty hectic! We had two late nights on Friday and Saturday, and everyone was wiped out on Sunday. Kellie-Laine and Cody went to see Switchfoot in concert at Baylor on Friday and didn't get home until after midnight. On Saturday, our friends, Ken and Kristen Hodges, invited us over for a belated "Welcome to the world, Emerie!" steak dinner. It was fabulous food...and I didn't have to cook (which is a wonderful treat for me!). We didn't get any of the girls in bed until after 10 pm, and we felt the effects of that today! (Landrie spent most of the day with "Angry Eyebrows.")

The other big project I've been working on is organizing and backing up all of my digital photos...it is a laborious task, but it's so rewarding to see everything organized! My system is this: I purchased 4 three ring notebooks. Each notebook contains 25 heavyweight sheet protectors. I burn my photos onto a CD and then I print an index page for that CD. The index page goes into the sheet protector, then the CD goes into a plastic CD case with a sticker backing, which attaches to the outside of the sheet protector. Now, anytime I'm looking for a certain photo, I simply look at the index page and voila! The CD with the photo I want is right there. It's pretty time consuming right now because I haven't backed up any of my photos since I've had my camera. But once I get the old photos finished, this system will work pretty well, I think!

BTW: for those of you who were praying for Valerie McCrea...she did pass away a few days ago. You should read the entry her dad posted about her the day after her death. It's amazing and perfect. . .

Have a great week.

Angela

I'm so sorry, y'all! It's been over two weeks since my last post, and I'm going to lose my readership if I don't keep up with this blog on a more consistent basis! I'll try harder....but I'm not making any promises!

Things have been a little hectic lately, and this freaky Texas weather isn't helping! The snow bunny came to visit us Easter weekend, and that really put a damper on not only our Easter festivities but also the girls' Easter dresses! The beautiful spring-like dresses that I purchased were hidden by winter coats. Texas weather is like no other, huh? Just three days before the snow, my car showed it was 81 degrees outside!! Could Al Gore be right about this global warming thing (just kidding, honey!)?

Anyway, continuing on....Easter was wonderful because we got to spend it with my sister and her in-laws. They are such a gracious family, and they always make room for us and my dad at any family gathering. Since the passing of my mom and grandmother, my side of the family literally consists of my sister, her family and my dad. It can seem sad at times, but it also helps stress the importance of staying connected--even if it means blending several different families together. Speaking of family importance, I want to ask each of you to pray for a lady named Valerie McCrea. Her blog address is listed on my blog (McCrea Family). She is a mother of three young boys and is losing her fight with cholangiocarcinoma. (For those of you who know Joel Lester...this is the same type of cancer he lost his wife to.) It's heartbreaking to read their blog each day and realize that the end is so near for her. (Her dad is actually the one who writes the blogs, although sometimes her husband, Chris, will update.) What strikes me is that as their battle draws closer to an end, their faith in God's sovereignty increases.

That's faith that is real....even in the midst of tragedy and trial--being able to praise God's name! I know I've been through many hardships in my life, and it's easy for me to look back on those times and see God's hand at work. But I don't know that in the middle of those trials I was able to see His grace and mercy...anyway, just keep Valerie in your thoughts and prayers if you can. She is currently at home with her family and in hospice care.

As for the pictures in my post, I think they're pretty self explanatory. Our snow day fun...the girls at Easter...Landrie and cousin Grace...and Emerie Beth--who is now sitting up, bear crawling, clapping, and eating anything EXCEPT baby food! I gotta get out of this precious baby stage quickly....I keep changing my mind about this being our last baby!!!!

Here's my verse for the week....referring to Abraham, Romans 4:20-21--

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.

May you walk this week believing in God's promises...

Lighting makes all the difference...

So I was getting pretty frustrated with my digital Cannon Rebel lately (don't worry, Jen, I still highly recommend it!). Digital makes you lazy due to the fact that you can always delete and re-take the picture until you get the "perfect shot." But I was never coming close to the perfect shot, and I was discouraged. FINALLY, after the stormy days disappeared one evening, strong sunlight was streaming through my bedroom window and I seized the moment to set up an impromptu photo shoot! What I discovered was that lighting makes all the difference! I got several amazing shots and I'm thrilled to be back in love with my camera!!

We did survive the "almost" tornado, for those of you who knew Waco was in the line of fire this past Friday. Not two minutes before they sounded the sirens, Phoebe and Kellie-Laine asked if they could go jump on the trampoline. I said, "Sure" but then Cody told me he thought it was thundering. The next thing I know, the sirens are sounding and Cody begins throwing stuff out of our playroom closet and yelling for the girls to get in! Kellie-Laine was pretty freaked out and Landrie was running around asking, "Is this like Wizard of Oz tomato?" We prayed together in the closet and, thankfully, the Lord heard the cry of His people.

In other Beeler news...Cody's in need of a new truck. His 1996 Z-71 needs many repairs totaling more than it's worth, so he's got to pull the trigger now. He's looking for a Ford F-250 diesel (preferably an '03 model)....anyone got one for sale? The hardest thing is letting go of the cash....we pay cash for everything (thank you, Dave Ramsey!) and letting go of that kind of money is plenty hard. But if anyone deserves a little indulgence, it's Cody. He never asks for much and is content with what he has. He's worked hard, and I'm hoping he'll find exactly what he wants.

We're heading to an Easter Egg hunt this afternoon with our lifegroup...Landrie woke up this morning saying that she's sick and needs Easter to make her feel better. Cute, huh?

Hope you guys have a great week! Here's another verse for us to chew on--especially for the mommies:

"A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath." Proverbs 15:1