Chitty Express

I HAVE MOVED!! COME FIND ME :)

2009-10-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

***formerly known as the Chitty Express. i am currently moving to my new blog called .feKt Studios for my photography business. feel free to find me there! as of now, i am done with my personal blogging. thank you for your support everyone!

update on grandpa as of 10/13/09

2009-10-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Below is the latest update from my grandpa Karr's cancer status...dad is keeping us up to date with the progress on the hospital carepages site. This is for those of you who do not have access to that site... thanks for keeping him in your prayers through this very difficult time. He is fighting hard, and grandma is doing a great job of staying strong and keeping her chin up as she takes care of him just following the death of her youngest son. they are an amazing example of endurance and faith and strength in my own personal life and i just love both of them so dearly. KEEP PRAYING PLEASE!....here is what dad wrote on the latest update:

"The doctor visit went very well. The doctor told us that the mass on the lung was gone! There are still some small cells in the lymph nodes between the lungs but the lung was negative on the PET Scan. This is major since they would not do the radiation originally because the lung mass was too large and posed a risk with radiation. Now they have stopped the chemo -YEA! - and will start the radiation on the remaining cancer.
Certainly Francis is not out of the woods yet, but things are going the right direction. We are hopeful that the blood count will remain good without the chemo treatments and that will certainly give Francis some relief from the fatigue and lack of appetite. Of course, we don't know what the effects will be with the radiation yet.
Please continue to lift Francis up in prayer as he still has a long haul in front of him and we know this type of cancer usually returns."

HAPPY BDAY AVERY//MEET SYLAR!!

2009-07-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

we celebrated Avery's 4th Bday this week and had a great time with her. mom and dad got her a princess outfit that she didnt want to take off for 3 days. i think she even slept in it lol. she would use the magic wand to turn us all into animals and would make us sound like w/e animal she came up with....then resorted to making selah turn into objects like a table, pillow, blanket, etc. was hilarious! I cant believe my baby is already 4 yrs old and starting preK in just three weeks. makes me sad in a way. i always saw myself as a stay at home mom with the kids and now that the day is near when all will be in school it makes me feel a bit empty inside. but i'm thankful and greatful for the time at home i did have with all of my "babies" and appreciate the bonding that has taken place becuz of it.

happy birthday Avery!!! may your bday wishes come true sweety :) we love you sooooo much!!

***************************

Meet our newest member to the family...

Sylar!

he was born on june 10 - just a day past my bday and is 7 weeks old now. we have been waiting patiently to bring him home and he is finally here! the kids love him so much and he has been a great addition to our family. he's a pomeranian and really is a great tempered pup so far. he slept thru the nite and is doing good with the potty training so far. key words: so far. hehe. he is getting lots of attention and love and enjoying every minute of it i think - not sure how it will be when the kids go off to school tho - will be interesting to see what happens. we are excited for some great times with him :D

2009-07-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

Fun Day in the Sun! Summertime is officially HERE!

2009-06-19T14:54:00.000-07:00

Rylan

Avery

Selah

Sawyer

just chillin

it was super hot outside today but i couldnt stand being inside anyway. i took the younger 3 kids out while Jeremiah finished his last day of camp @ LGCA. We ran erronds: getting gas in the van, messing about in wal-mart, got Subway for lunch, went to the bank, and ran the van thru the carwash. Then came the fun....we went swimming and to the horse show! kids had a blast even tho it was ridiculously humid out. i was proud of them for not whining! Andy took an early day and met up with us after we picked Miah up from camp. It was an emotionally upsetting day for him today so we decided to have a fun family nite and rock out to guitar hero. fun times! i love my family...my kids enjoy life and are such a blessing to hang with, they teach me to just live it day by day sometimes and enjoy the ride. eventually tho, i must get back to the reality of how busy i am - tons of homework due on monday so i need to get on it! other than the sunburn...today was awesome!

oh, and i need to say this now cuz i wont blog again in time probably...

Andy - happy fathers day :) you are a wonderful daddy and the kids are so blessed to have you as thier father. You show them patience, teach them to love, and play with them daily. Life is so good with you in it ...now lets try to keep it that way :P haha.

some recent pics....

2009-03-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

had a few nice days in the mix this week so i took the girls out to do some photos of them. ENJOY!

****ok, couldnt upload pics of Selah right now so i will add them in tomorrow :) ****sorry!

dear uncle greg....(my thoughts i just need to let out)

2009-01-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

i love you uncle greg. i'm sorry that life has been hard on you and i'm sorry you were the one who ended up with ALS. its just not fair and my heart bleeds for you and the pain you have had to endure through it all.
i still remember the days when you lived out in the country and you had those really cool wolf looking dogs. they were so awesome to run around in the yard with. i still remember the time i was a rebellious teenager and you lived in springfield and i spent the nite with you and knew i could smoke with you and you wouldnt tell on me HAHA. that was a great night by the way. i loved hanging with you. i still remember all the hell you went through with Janice and thinking to myself "why cant he get a good woman? he deserves to be happy".
i love you Greg. you are a fighter and a courageous man. Joni's boys will always see you as thier hero and the one they looked up to. i will always see you as my sweet uncle greg. xoxo

OF COURSE IT HAppENS TO US ~ THATS A GIVEN THESE DAYS

2008-12-31T09:19:00.000-08:00

it was the morning after christmas and all was great ~ kids were happy with the new toys and i was happy to sleep in~ andy was off to work early and all was great *or so we thought*

i get a call from him later on in the day telling me that he had been in a wreck and that the car was pretty banged up~ apparently he had slid on the ice left over from the ice storm a few days earlier and had run into another vehicle ~ crunching the hood in and scaring the bajeebees out of andy! but he was safe and made it to work okay so we werent too worried about it until we remembered we dropped the insurance to liability in order to save a few bucks *note to self~ NEVER do that again!*

so after andy gets off work he decides to tie down the hood and try to make it home ~ which is about a twenty minute drive~ but he was trying to avoid the tow bill since remember ~ this is all happening on the day after christmas! we had close to ziltch in the account *and yes ziltch is a word ~ you know you use it too so dont hate*

on the outskirts of bloomington in the pitch black dark with fog and very little vision ability the hood of the car decides to pop up and smack the window ~ shattering the glass and once again scaring the bajeebees out of andy~ we had to chuckle later that nite as we were watching Tommy Boy on tv and the part where they were in the car and hit the deer came on and the hood flew up haha ~ andy turned to me and said "yup that was me" lol

he *by some miracle* made it to the side of the road and had to walk about two miles up to the nearest gas station to call me on the cell ~ my cell was of course dying so i was in tears and stressed not knowing exactly what to do or how bad things were yet~ so when all else fails and you are feeling like a lost 12 yr old CALL DADDY! so thats what i did haha and thank goodness dad was home and able to meet andy there at the gas station before i got there~ i was crying tears the whole way and the kids never said a peep cuz they could tell how scared i was ~ bless thier hearts lol

so here we are now broker than a trained horse and without a car ~ it is totalled and waiting to be sold for parts as we speak ~ andy just called me from work as i was writing this post and said there are three potential used cars he's looking at today so hopefully something will get worked out~ i have to say a public THANK YOU to my mom and dad ~ without thier help in all of this i seriously dont know what we would have done ~ this is one of the many reasons we are ready to live in bloomington where andy works ~ we would love the kids to have access to bus transportation to school incase something like this happened~ and we'd be in the same town as he works which only MAKES SENSE to us ~ in time *we hope!*

until then ~ this is life

HAppY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

~THE BIG DAY~

2008-12-25T06:48:00.000-08:00

every christmas morning its tradition that the kids make me hot tea and do the dishes from the family fun the night before so this year was no different ~ miah was up bright and early to clean up and get ready for the fun *below* miah getting ready to vac

the girls have begged and begged for new pets in the house so we gave in and got them a cat and a dog ~ well ok they are FurrReal ones but close enuff! haha i dont think i've seen Selah smile that big in a long time and it felt good as a parent to get her something she really wanted and had NO IDEA she was getting~ and NO mommy didnt give it to her early either! HAHA i was good this year and did it ALL on christmas day mom ~ arent you proud lol *below* selah with 'lucky' the dog and avery with 'alley' the cat

the boys were happy to get thier toys too~ guitar hero* a bike * clothes* movies * games * etc

rylan had a fave tho ~ all those days of putting up with his big brother miah and he finally gets to find revenge on him with his new nerf gun lol check it out tho ~ when rylan asked for a nerf gun i was thinking one of those small water guns that my brother and i chased eachother with when i was young~ but NOOOOO this thing is a monster! haha

*below* miah with his guitar hero world tour game and rylan with his nerf gun

my favorite was watching our little sweet avery in her princess outfit singing along to the oakridge boys christmas album *which is tradition to play in our home cuz i grew up with it in my home so i thought it was only fair to torture my kids the way my parents tortured me! haha*

hope your christmas was a special one this year everyone!!! from our home to yours *hugs*

have a safe new year!!

a typical day at the Chitwood home~

2008-12-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

ok ok maybe not so typical but it was a fun day none the less~ we did some photos of the kids just playin around like mommy usually does with her camera! Here are some that i thought i'd share with everyone~~ hope you enjoy looking thru the lives of our crazy lil chits hehe!! they always make me smile so big~ i hope they do the same with you!!

anyone want to buy Selah~ she's on sale for 2cents

wow we even got Daddy in one of the pics! thats rare!!! The kids love it when Daddy joins in~ maybe next time mommy will***we'll see hehe

one cool thing about being the mom.....

2008-12-11T14:17:00.000-08:00

is that you get to open the presents early if you want to !! i know my mom just about croaked when she read that haha. but its so true. i have to say.... the boys are getting guitar hero world tour this year and this momma has already been playing on it while they were at school and she's getting good enuff to beat them by the time they crack it 'open' to play it at christmas! haha!!

i know i know...i'm terrible....but its fun.

there's a commercial that shows these gift bags with alarms on them ....so if you are sneaking into a gift the alarm goes off.....man oh man am i glad we never had those growing up! i would have been busted EVERY YEAR!! lol. one year my mom got smart and wrapped all my gifts with someone elses name on them. so when i opened mine, or so i thought they were mine, to peek and see what i was getting, they were actually gifts for my grandma o.o !!! bad mommy bad!! for two weeks i cried to sleep thinking all i was getting was a cat puzzle!!! hahahaha.

hope you all are getting ready...the fun is almost here!! xoxo hugs xoxo

ramblings from nikki this morning...

2008-12-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

as most of our friends and family know, we dont do the whole santa deal in our house. we never have and the kids have always been super great about it. they actually appreciate knowing its all from us i think *atleast i tell myself that! haha* this is the first year i have felt REALLY overwhelmed with what to do for the kids. they have never really given us a list or anything. its pretty apparent usually what they want or need, so i just go with my mommy instincts and do ok at it. andy works so much through the holiday season that he isnt always there to buy with me so its sometimes just as much of a surprise to him to see what they get.

andy was given a great opportunity this year of some extra overtime, like a whole month of it! we feel so blessed that it came right before christmas! it will be equal to two extra paychecks in our month, which is awesome when you have four kids....wait, it would be awesome with NO kids even! HAHA. the kids all know that daddy is hard at work earning this extra cash. he leaves before we wake up and comes home as the night time routine begins. its not easy, thats for sure. i am a single mom basically for about 6 weeks, but the reward is worth it. i love love love to make my kids smile big. its not often we get to do much for them on our tight budget....even bday's are usually very simple, like cake and ice cream at mom and dads, no big parties or anything. and never toys, usually clothes for school if anything. but they are ok with it becuz they know that when christmas comes, they get it ALL. they have NEVER complained to us about not getting something, so it makes it so easy for us to go crazy at christmas cuz they really are great kids who deserve a few good smiles on christmas morning. we love each of them SO much...cant even imagine our family without one of them. i can still remember when i found out i was pregnant with avery and we cried and cried wondering how we could make it financially with her being in our family. and as i think back, i cant imagine life without her now! she's an amazing little spirit full of life and curiosity and we just adore her to pieces.

so...as i look at this long list that they have decided to give me, my mommy voices are talking loud.....realistic nikki says "there is no way we can get all this"....my sensible nikki says "we should save some of this for a rainy day"...my childlike nikki says "woot! lets have some fun!!"...my generous nikki says "we should give some to the needy".....OHHHH so many choices !!

i'm sure we will give some to some worthy cause, we usually try to send some to the angel tree to help out. there were a few years our family had to use the services that they provide, and we know how much we appreciated it so we try to give back when we can. they are a great service to low income families at christmas time and if you havent been blessed by giving gifts to children through angel tree, you should really consider it. my kids love to buy for the angel tree kids, and i love that its a simple way to teach my children how to give out of love for others.

man, i'm just rambling on and on today about nothing and everything! HAHA. guess i should wrav this up. we had a terrific time at thanksgiving with my siblings, parents, cousins, and everyone. it was a great time for everyone. mom and dads new house is so perfect for family entertaining and we look forward to many more years of it to come. the kids absolute love going there....of course, grandma has a wii, so she's way cooler than mom! haha. unfortunately i dont have any pics, my camera had dead batteries in it *frowns* sorry everyone. and right now, as of today, my usb cord is still missing so i cant upload any pics to my laptop *frowns again*. so i hope to find it soon.

*****enjoy shopping this christmas season and dont lose sight of what its all about....LOVE.....we all come from different walks of life and backgrounds, but the story of christmas is the same for everyone and means the same to all.....enjoy sharing it this season with your families and loved ones! ******

2008-11-21T07:51:00.000-08:00

<-- the girls and their cousins Sabrynn & Corinne

<---- arent the boys getting so big?

<----my little man Miah. he is such a great kid.

<-----Line em' up!! (i love photoshop! ha ha)

yes i'm alive.....

2008-07-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

and i'm finally feeling alive too! its been a long long haul, and a very dark path for me to travel the last several months. i have let things fall away in my life that meant a lot to me -- friends, my weight, my house, the summer, my photography, school, my job, wow...if i keep going i'll get depressed again lol. i better stop! yes, i just said the 'D word'. depressed.
i was always one of those ppl who really tried hard to supress any feelings of depression. it runs in my family so i knew it was there...even as a younger kid i knew it was there. but i refused to be labeled with the 'D word'. i hated it. i saw it as such a terrible thing...an embarressing thing. i saw my mom struggle with it when i was younger and i hated what it did to us as a family. it made me feel so distant from her, so hurt, and so neglected emotionally. i hated to think that i was doing that to any of my four children...but unfortunately, that was just the beginning of the damage done =/

i have recently discovered memories of my past thru self analysis, self help books, prayer, counseling, dreams (yes, even my dreams!), and talking to my sweet husband. some of the memories were wonderful to remember....but there were a lot of deep dark secrets too....secrets i have held inside...deep deep inside....for literally years. the pain and the embarressment was down so deep that i couldnt find the reason behind my eating disorder during high school/college...my marital troubles....and then, my depression.

i became so lost in my depression that i literally did not live. i woke up, moved to the couch, got online all day chit chatting with long distance friends whom knew nothing about my personal troubles so i could pretend all was ok, then went to bed. barely eating, barely even sleeping some nites and sleeping for days at the same time. i put on tons of weight from not moving. i never left the house....NEVER. wasnt showering, wasnt talking on the phone, wasnt ...well, ....living.

now is a good time for me to thank my sweet husband ...drew...who has dealt with so much over so many years with me. he has stood by my side as i recalled so many unwanted memories that have haunted me and destroyed my spirit. he has helped me as i have challenged my own faith, and have searched for answers in my walk on earth. he has watched over and protected our precious four kids while i layed on the couch with glazed eyes and disconnected from the world. he was rubbing out my feet and hands as i cried in pain as my body ached more and more each day. he was smiling for me to others who asked about me when i couldnt smile myself. he was my beating heart...literally...when i wanted to just die. he is my hero and best friend. he is my lover, and my soul mate. i am forever grateful to you my sweet drew. i love you. i am so thankful for you and am so thankful that you didnt give up on me or our family. thank you for loving me when i couldnt even love myself. thank you for loving me when i didnt deserve it. i cant thank you enough.

gina...i owe you a huge thank you too girlie. thank you for holding out and being patient with me. after losing so many contacts/friendships thru this hardship, i prayed for your friendship to stay strong. when i see myself at 90 yrs old, you are in that vision girlie, old and grey with me...still griping about our hubbies, our kids, our houses, etc lol. you are my sister in every way....sister from another mother lol. i love you. thank you so much for not giving up on us.

joni...thank you for being real with me. for being urself and so raw. you dont know what that means to have a friend who can be that way with you all the time. there is no guessing with you and your sincerity and i love that about you. you arent just 'the girl married to my cousin'....you ARE my cousin girl :) i adore you and i miss you!!

adam... can i just say ditto? lol we dont have to say words to eachother really...we just know :) you are my bro and i love you so dearly. and i'm so very sorry for all that you are enduring right now. ur in my prayers and so is the rest of ur family. keep ur chin up.

ok....

thats it for now.
the bad news -- i'm so far behind on life and have missed most of 2008 so far :(
the good news--- i'm BACK!!!! meds are good, and i'm feeling much better these days.
side note * on a low carb diet that is kicking my butt right now!!! GGGRRRRRR!!!! I WANT BREAD!!!!! for the love of PANERA...PLEASE!!!!!!! lol

laterz all :) *hugs*

HERE WE COME TERRIBLE THREE'S

2008-03-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

ACK! ITS SO CLOSE! AVERY IS QUICKLY APPROACHING HER THIRD BIRTHDAY AND I WAS PONDERING TODAY ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS. THE FEW THINGS I THOUGHT OF INCLUDED THINGS LIKE:

1. MAN I NEED TO GET ON THE BALL WITH POTTY TRAINING!

2. SHE IS TALKING SENTENCES NOW...WOW!

3. WHAT ARE WE PLANNING FOR PRESCHOOL?

4. WE REALLY NEED TO BUY THIS GIRL HER OWN BED...AND QUICK!

5. WE BETTER HURRY UP AND HEAD TO DISNEY WORLD WHILE SHE'S STILL FREE!!

...AND AMONG OTHER THOUGHTS...

SO I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO TAKE A FEW PICTURES OF HER AND CAPTURE THIS MOMENT IN TIME. SHE IS SUCH A FUNNY LITTLE CHARACTER AND WE REALLY ENJOY HAVING HER AS PART OF OUR FAMILY. ITS HARD TO BELIEVE SOMETIMES THAT SHE WILL BE OLDER ONE DAY, WITH HER OWN FAMILY...WOW, MAKES ME SAD REALLY...SO I'M JUST GONNA STARE AT THESE PICTURES FOR A MOMENT AND THANK GOD FOR THE TIME I HAVE WITH HER NOW.....FEEL FREE TO STARE WITH ME, SHE'S REALLY CUTE ISNT SHE? lol :)

AMERICAN GIRL DOLL

2007-11-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

I cant believe Selah has finally gotten her American Girl Doll. I promised her she'd get it when she turned five yrs, and well, here we are! I drove Selah up to Chicago to meet with my best friend Gina and her two kids Maddy and Owen. Maddy and Selah are only months apart, so its always nice to see them having fun together while Gina and I get to catch up and hang out. Selah had a great time, and Grandma gave her some extra birthday money so she could get an outfit for her new doll...thanks Grandma! It was a great time and I cant wait to do it again when Avery turns 5. Here is a picture of her holding her new doll...who she named Willy by the way. And yes, she told me she knows its a boy name, but she doesn't care because thats the name she likes for her doll. hahaa! She is so much like mommy sometimes!! We picked out the "just like me" doll....hard to find one w/ blonde hair and GREEN eyes. (all had blue) but we finally found one.

Do A Little Dance...

2007-10-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

Dancing With God
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance."
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.
This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.

I Hope You Dance !

happy birthday baby!

2007-07-27T21:47:00.001-07:00

just wanted to wish my baby Avery a happy birthday! she is two years old and i can't believe it! she has started talking in small sentences now and just started on the big girl potty. she is growing so fast and we adore her. happy birthday baby!

(left pic: Cousin Corinne, Avery, Big sis Selah ; right pic: Avery at 4 mos.)

No...I'm Not Dead

2007-07-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

I won't name any names, (but her first initial starts with JONNA), has mentioned that I haven't been on here blogging lately. first of all, I am thrilled to pieces that someone NOTICED! LOL second, I have not fallen off of the earth, I am just overwhelmed with other things right now. My life is full of work, school, photography side-jobs, and keeping up with four kids and a hubby. I have been asked to do some photography sessions with a few people, which I am so happy about. I find so much enjoyment in doing pictures and capturing memories for others...really. I have signed up for my classes this fall and found out that I had an open elective to choose whatever I wanted, so of course, I am taking a photography class! And it's not an advanced class either, so instead of just 6 weeks, it will be for the whole fall semester (aug-dec). So i hope to learn a lot and be able to share my new found knowledge with you as I learn. :) can't wait!

A public thanks to my pal Melinda for allowing me the honors of taking pics for her nieces. It was so much fun and they are so stinkin' adorable! Their parents will hopefully enjoy the pics as much as I enjoyed taking them :) Thanks for thinking of ME when choosing someone to do them, too. That really means a lot to me.

Okay, Jonna, there ya go girlie! I have entered a blog...nothing exciting to talk about today....I will work on a devo for this next week and try to post it up for all you lovely gals :) God is good and is doing some great things in my life ---I hope you all feel the same!

Blessings <3 (hey mom, that's a heart incase you didn't know keyboard lingo! ha!)

Who or What would I be If....

2007-06-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

I was given a second shot at life? hmmm, that's a hard question to answer. But I have found a site online that lets me play around with how I would answer that question. It's a site called "Second Life" (found at secondlife.com) and I can literally be who I want to be on there. I have always missed my long thick dark hair and my cute body that I once had back in the younger years. So, guess what? Yep, you guessed it! I have long hair and a cute body on there! I don't use my real name (nobody does) so it would be hard to find me. All I can say is that I am having loads of fun and Andy is making fun of me for loving my hair so much!lol I am trying to earn more "lendans" (fake money) so that i can buy or rent a home. I am also trying to find a job and a couple of roommates to share the house with. I have hit some awesome dance clubs and have seen some gorgeous beaches in the meantime! I can even fly!! :O) So anyway, I haven't been blogging lately because I have been living my life....my second one, that is. hee hee.

to Mom & Dad

2007-06-21T09:22:00.001-07:00

to Mom & Dad

Vacation Rocks!

2007-06-13T18:44:00.001-07:00

Vacation Rocks!

i put a quick video together that includes some great video ---check it out! no fancy editing on this one...sorry. i made it really late at night and i just wanted to get it done and uploaded. enjoy!

Wisconsin Dells Vacation Pictures

2007-06-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

go check out the rest of the pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/thechits/Dells2007

Friendship

2007-06-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that when Selah plays with her gal pal Mia (pronounced like our Miah, so we call her "Little Mia"), it takes me back to my childhood years. I had a really close friend that lived a block away from me and we spent A LOT of time together. If I wasn't at Kristi's house, then she was at mine. Our moms were really close friends too, so that only encouraged the relationship between us. I miss those younger years sometimes. I think back when we would get in our swimsuits and play at the park next to my house--the local firemen would use the park as a training ground and would play water war games while all of us kids would run wild in the water. It was so much fun. We would get on our bikes and race around the park until someone fell and got hurt. (Good thing the hospital was only a block away!) Kristi had a brother too, which made it convenient for my brother. The four of us ruled the neighborhood! We would tell other kids if they were allowed to play in "our park" or not! (sad, but true!) We would make mud pies and make Kristi's brother Ben eat them. Those were the days!!

So here we are, years later, and it is such a joy to see my kids making friendships in the same way. Mia has two older brothers that are friends with our boys and they ride bikes together a lot. The minute we pull in the driveway, one of their kids will come by and ask "can your kids play with me?" If they aren't in our yard, then my kids are in theirs! What a blessing it is to have such a great family living nearby!! (they go to the same church too)

One of the biggest reasons why we moved back to my hometown instead of moving to Indy was for friends and family. Being in ministry for seven years was wonderful in so many ways, but the one thing that was always so painful to me was the fact that I never was able to gain true friendships. I had a void in my heart and it was so painful at times that it really took a toll on our marriage. When Andy decided that God was asking him to "take a break" from ministering full time, we prayed about where we should go next in our lives. God reminded me of the wonderful childhood memories that I had in my hometown, and it was a no brainer to move my own children there in order for them to experience some of those same great memories. Not to mention that my family is here and it is such a blessing for them to be around!! We still dream of moving on someday, when the time and opportunity is right, but for now this is where we are making home and we are thankful for the friendships that God has blessed our whole family with.

Scary Story Time

2007-06-02T09:40:00.001-07:00

Scary Story Time

Selah tells a scary story....and it cracks me up!!

For My Pal Jonna...

2007-06-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

my good friend Jonna gave me a personal challenge with my photography. She saw a website that took regular photos and turned them in to words by using letter pictures. I have been working on building an alphabet with my pictures, and just wanted Jonna to see one quick example that I have come up with. Jonna, this is an easy one just so it wouldn't take up too much space on my blog, but I am working on a few nice ones to send your way :) thanks for such a great idea!! I am having fun with it!(*if you haven't figured it out yet--the word above spells "mom")

Building Memories Already...and many more to come

2007-05-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Let The Good Times Roll Baby!

Today's Drama

2007-05-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

what does it mean.....

2007-05-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

to tie the knot? This is where my brain is going right now as i am trying to encourage others who are struggling in their marriage. God has put these words on my heart to share with you and my prayer is that if you are one that needs to hear them, your heart would be receptive and softened.
_____________________________

K - know eachother. this means to spend the time that it takes to get to know each other in a more intimate way. not just sexually, but emotionally and spiritually as well. women and men are so different. make the special effort to understand one another and know why your spouse does the things that they do. there is always a 'deeper issue' when crisis comes. find it. reach for it. and work together on it.

N - never lose sight of the bigger picture. god has placed you together to be a team. it is never about yourself. god wants us to be selfless and to serve our spouse beyond what we think is fair or right. we are to love and honor our spouse in such a way that the world will stop and look at us and wonder why we are so "different". there is a purpose in everything when you do it together.

O - open. in every sense of the word. be open to listening, be open to speaking, be open to the thoughts of others, be open to the fact that you could be very wrong. open yourself up so that your spouse feels confident in the relationship. if there are too many hidden parts to you, then your spouse feels like they aren't valued enough or trusted. be open.

T - trust. trust that your spouse is smart enough to make decisions. trust that god put you with someone who will compliment your faults. trust that your spouse is doing their very best in the marriage. trust your spouse enough to let go and let them TRY. (i personally struggle with this one; so i am mainly speaking to myself here!!)

My prayer:

Jesus, help us to tie the knot even tighter. help us to pull on the rope and to bring ourselves closer to each other and to you. use us to teach the world what real love is all about. help us to forgive when our spouse's hurt us or stumble in their walk with you. help us to be each others' cheerleader instead of the worst enemy. AMEN.

Wheel of Fortune!

2007-05-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

okay kids, I promised you that I would make this video and post it--- well, life got a little more busy than usual so it took me a while...but here it is.... ENJOY!

http://www.livevideo.com

It's FREEEEZING!!

2007-05-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

first moments in the water for Rylan always make for great pictures! His smile is a mile wide every time... I love it! go to http://picasaweb.google.com/thechits to check out more fun pictures of our weekend out on the lake.

Say Cheeeeeze!

2007-05-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

My dad and Selah playing in the water. She had so much fun swimming with him. I am so thankful that my kids have their grandparents to play with when mommy gets tired! lol Just kidding. It really is nice to see them bond though. Thanks mom and dad...for all that you do!

Swim Time!

2007-05-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Time is Here!

2007-05-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

We have been so ready to get out on the lake and play....well folks, the time is here! We have already spent a couple of weekends out on the water and it feels so good. There is nothing like a nice cool ride on the boat and then a great cookout on the grill after coming back in for the evening. The kids love to swim with grandpa (above). We are excited to use our new camper this summer too. Here is a pic that I took while watching the kids swim. I didn't feel like getting wet, so I played around with the camera instead. This is the front tip of dads boat....what a view! And dad, I took it in black 'n white because it looks cool that way :)

More to Come...

2007-05-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

i am putting together a video of our adventure of trying out for wheel of fortune. yes...we really did do it! i have been swamped lately so it's been hard to find time to put it together, but i am almost there. i downloaded the theme song last night....get ready folks! stay tuned for more....

OH POOP!!

2007-05-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

My daughter Avery has formed a new bad habit. Does anyone have any suggestions? Seriously! It is driving me CRAZY!! I don't know how many more times I can clean out the tub! SO GROSS!!!! ICK!!! feel free to leave me a suggestion....

No Name for This Picture

2007-04-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

Classic Tree Portrait

2007-04-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

I love this shot. The only thing that drives me crazy is the shadow on Miah's face. I can't seem to get it off of there. Guess I'll keep at it...

My Little Big Man

2007-04-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

Keep Your Focus

2007-04-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

I was taking a few pictures out at the Christian camp nearby today. I took Miah with me and got a couple of shots that turned out okay (above). I had to share this one though. One of my goals with this new camera was/is to learn how to control the focus more. I have always peeked at other 'real photographers' pictures online and I have been amazed at the clarity and detail that they can do all with the focus. I really want to be that good. It's a notch up from the regular day-to-day snapshot, and I am determined that I will get there with practice by-golly! Some people have goals such as to become president, to own a company someday, to get married to a millionaire, or something else. My goal? Just to figure out my darn focus button!!!! Sounds easy, I know. But this camera is much more advanced than what I have ever played around with before so more practice is needed.....desperately!lol Anyway, here is one that I thought came out pretty good. My dad was helpful in showing me what one of the buttons does, and it seems to be working out nicely....thanks pop!

Chillin' At the Lake

2007-04-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

They are Growing!

2007-04-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

Rylan was so excited to bring home this little pot of seeds the other day. He wanted to see how long it would take for his flowers to grow. So we decided to take some pictures of them in each stage, and we are hoping to put a video together at the end. (we'll see). He asked me to post up his flowers so that everyone could see how big they are getting already. Here they are! Aren't they so great!? Sunflowers... oh boy! (now we have to find a spot to PLANT these huge mommas!!)

The View

2007-04-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

No, I don't mean the TV show called The View. What I mean is this is my view (above). This is what I look at every day while sitting on my couch contemplating what I will do. I can sit in my soft couch and lounge while surfing channels all night. Or I could get on the treadmill and start walking some of this unwanted poundage off! What's the deal-e-oh (as andy says)?! Why can't I get motivated to get on that VERY EXPENSIVE piece of "furniture" in our living room? I had Andy move it to the living room so that I would see it when I sit down. Uuuummm, yeah...not working! All that happens when I sit down for some good reality tv is me staring at the treadmill saying, "someday I should really start using that thing and get my money's worth."

My pal challenged me to once again jump on the wagon and start exercising. So I started a few days ago with cutting back on pop and junk food. I have been eating much healthier choices (with a few exceptions here and there--I don't claim to be perfect people, come on!!) and I have been trying to stay more active. Today was so pretty outside that I went to the mall and walked around. Of course, I had to blow some money while I was there, so I bought some clothes for the kids and had my nails done. Then I came home, picked up Avery and went for a walk with her out at the Lake. It was so nice and refreshing to be outside and to feel the breeze.

So, I am at it again....gonna give it a good go this round!! OFF WITH THE POUNDS!!!

Hands of Innocense....

2007-04-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

YEAH RIGHT!!!HA!

who are you looking up to?

2007-04-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

Chicago Pics

2007-04-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

getting closer at it!

2007-04-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

Downtown Chicago

2007-04-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Andy and I came across this beautiful building/park right in the middle of downtown chicago. I couldn't resist taking this picture, it was so gorgeous to look at. (i think every wanna-be-photographer in chicago was here with me on the day i took this!--TONS of peeps taking pics in this spot.)

bonding with mommy

2007-04-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

Playing Around With the Focus

2007-04-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

funny stuff!

2007-04-20T05:31:00.000-07:00

Our Song...our life. (my weird parents again)

I DID IT!

2007-04-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

LOOK!! I CAN FINALLY PUT HER HAIR UP IN A HIGH BUN! I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS -- YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG I HAVE WAITED TO DO THAT!!! :)

it takes a village...

2007-04-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

TO RAISE THIS MIDDLE CHILD!!!

LET'S MEET THE VILLAGE:
ToNi-- she was the one i could go to after a long hard day of school, or after a fight with my mom and she would always make me laugh. i love her sense of humor!
DeBi-- she was the one i could go to when i had a secret to tell. she was (and still is) such a great listener. i would babysit for Debi and after she came home, we would drive aroud a little before she would actually take me home. we would talk about anything and everything. she even let me drive her little white car BEFORE i had my license! she was listed high on my "cool person" list!lol
ShErrY & HoLLy-- these two were the ones i would go to when i need prayer. they were there holding my hand through the loss of my first child and i could not have done it without their encouragment. when i was nineteen i left my comfort zone to live on the mission field for several months, and when i got there, i found a letter from Sherry hidden inside my Bible with a note of encouragment and a verse to live by.
BeCKy-- then there is miss Becky. (above) her excitement about life is so uplifting and contagious. this is a picture of her on Easter Sunday. she is such a joy to be around. she has prayed with me over many issues and has always been a super cheerleader in my life!

these ladies are all such great examples in my life and have always taught me how to strive to be my best at WHATEVER it is i'm doing. i love that i can call on any of them today and they would still be there for me as mommy-type-figures. i want to be like this for the younger women around me. that's my prayer today. :) OH- and thank you to my REAL mom! she's the best, seriously. (PSSSST! YOU MADE THE FRONT PAGE BECKY! CONGRATS!LOL)

Am I an Ant?

2007-04-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

We have a little bit of an Ant problem going on in our house right now. I have a rule that nobody is suppose to eat in the living room, but apparently that rule has been broken a few times. Yesturday I came across a small bit of chocolate donut on the floor near our couch. When I went to pick it up, there were TONS of small little ants crawling all over it! And when I looked closer, there was a long line of little monsters just waiting for their turn to take a bite off this one piece of donut. I could see right where they were coming in through our old walls too. It's amazing how they will find a way when they smell food!! (kind of like my husband!!lol)
Anyway, the kids were excited and wanted to play with the Ants. I had to keep them away as they watched me put this gooey poison (which looks like white honey) on a piece of an UNO card and lay it near their path. As we all sat and watched, it only took a few minutes for the ants to start moving towards the poison. They would climb on to the card, then get stuck in the poison, and then die slowly. The kids thought this was just way too cool. I, on the other hand, thought it was pretty gross. By the end of the night, there were tons of Ants on this one little card. They had all fallen for our "trap". We Win Ants!!

So, why am I telling you this? It's simple. I just want to challenge you, along with myself, to watch out for the sweet smelling "poison" that is around us every day. There are so many things in this world today that can distract us from the Truth, or from what God is trying to use us for. He wants us to stay pure, and to stay on task. Find scripture that goes along with this post and ask God to reveal to you today what "poisons" might be tempting you right now. I'm planning to do the same...

first attempt

2007-04-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

i took my oldest child, Jeremiah(8) out with me on Easter to take some pictures of a friends' band while they were practicing. While we were out and about, he asked me if he could shoot a picture too (he loves photography almost as much as i do!), so i told him to let me know when he saw something that he'd like to shoot, and he could use my camera. So...he LOVED this sky, and HAD to take a picture of it. not to shabby for his first try at it. i'm thrilled that he is enjoying it as much as i am. We are already planning our next "adventure" out together....can't wait! Great job Jeremiah! You are such a cool kid!

Can Someone PLEASE...

2007-04-08T21:40:00.000-07:00

tell me why I am so obsessed with taking pictures of power lines??? Here is yet another one! sorry folks!

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

May your Easter be blessed and full of wonderful memories. I'm so glad we have this wonderful reminder of what Christ has done for us!

Here is a link to my web album that has our Easter pics on it. Feel free to go check 'em out!
http://picasaweb.google.com/thechits/Easter07

After...

2007-04-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

this is after her bath....much better now :)

Before...

2007-04-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

this was the morning of Easter....before the bath :)

okay...i lied. i'm having fun blogging today~back off!

2007-04-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

one more blog today...

2007-04-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

just wanted to post one more pic today. this is an ol' tree out by the lake that i absolutely LOVE. it reminds me of 'the joshua tree'. i couldn't resist taking a picture of it while these cool clouds were in the background. enjoy!

Playing Together Nicely--FINALLY!

2007-04-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Rylan and Selah had fun entertaining themselves with a puppet show the other day. They made all the puppets together and colored the "back-wound scene-a-wee". I was working on some unfinished homework while they were sitting over in the corner doing a little play. It was so adorable! Rylan was signing songs and telling the story and Selah was giggling the whole time. They are such good buddies sometimes....I can only hope that they keep this great relationship as they grow older. Right now as I am sharing this with you, the kids are all home on Easter break. Rylan and Selah are, once again, playing together. They are pretending that they are zoo keepers and they have to rescue hurt animals all around the house. It is cracking me up!

2007-04-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

This is my adorable niece, Addison. I had a few minutes alone with her while her mommy (my sister) ran to get us some lunch the other day. I started taking a few pictures and she was really loving it! I am so in love with this little baby girl! She is such a good baby. Hopefully her mom and dad won't corrupt her too much as she gets older-ha! Anyway, just wanted to share with you how big she is getting. Isn't she cute?! (PS- i didn't get my sister's permission to use this picture on my blog, so everyone needs to keep it a secret!LOL)

Tell Me What YOU Think/Feel On This One...

2007-04-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

The following is an article that I came across...leave me a comment and tell me what you think/feel. I'm very interested in knowing where all of you stand on this subject. If you are going to defend Christ, make sure you have solid scriptures to back up your opinions. Time to think a little....

Lesbian Couple in Wyo. Denied CommunionThursday, April 5th, 2007 at 6:53pm
GILLETTE, Wyo.
Leah Vader and Lynne Huskinson, a lesbian couple who got married in Canada last August, sent a letter recently to their state legislator decrying a Wyoming bill that would deny recognition of same-sex marriages. The lawmaker read the letter on the floor of the Legislature.
Soon after, the local paper interviewed the couple on Ash Wednesday and ran a story and pictures of them with ash on their foreheads, a mark of their Roman Catholic faith.
It wasn't long after that that the couple received a notice from their parish church telling them they have been barred from receiving Communion.
"If all this stuff hadn't hit the newspaper, it wouldn't have been any different than before _ nobody would have known about it," said the couple's parish priest at St. Matthew's, the Rev. Cliff Jacobson. "The sin is one thing. It's a very different thing to go public with that sin."
Catholics deemed sinners in the eyes of the church are sometimes taken aside and privately advised not to take Communion. But Cheyenne Bishop David Ricken, gay Catholic organizations and a national church spokeswoman said they could not recall any previous instance of a U.S. bishop denying the sacrament to a gay couple in writing.
Now Huskinson and Vader say they are struggling to reconcile their devotion to the church with their devotion to each other.
"You spend half your time defending your gayness to Catholics," Vader said, "and the other half of your time defending your Catholicism to gays."
The couple, who regularly attended Mass and took Communion, have not been back to St. Matthew's since they received the letter a month and a half ago. Vader said they did not want to make a scene.
The 46-year-old newlyweds _ Vader is a supervisor at a recycling center, Huskinson a coal miner _ ran afoul of a sort of don't-ask-don't-tell policy on the church's part.
"I told my wife in good conscience that if I had known those ladies, and we'd have been having a beer, I'd have just told them to keep everything to themselves," parish music director John Chick said. He added that once news like this hits the papers, "someone's forced to deal with it now, aren't they?"
The parish priest said that after the couple put their engagement and marriage announcements in the local paper, he ran reminders of the church's teachings in the parish bulletin as a warning.
After the Ash Wednesday story, the priest sent this letter: "It is with a heavy heart, in obedience to the instruction of Bishop David Ricken, that I must inform you that, because of your union and your public advocacy of same-sex unions, that you are unable to receive Communion."
The bishop said the couple's sex life constitutes a grave sin, "and the fact that it became so public, that was their choice."
Last fall, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops overwhelmingly approved new guidelines that say parishes should welcome gays while telling them to be celibate because the church considers their sexuality "disordered." The bishops said that anyone who knowingly persists in sinful behavior, such as gay sex or using artificial contraception, should refrain from taking Communion.
Professor Carl Raschke, chairman of religious studies at the University of Denver, said of the Cheyenne bishop's decision: "It's no more surprising that the Catholic Church would deny Communion to an openly gay couple than a Muslim mosque would deny access to somebody who ate pork."
Sister Mary Ann Walsh, spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the church allows local bishops to handle decisions on who may take Communion, so there is no record of how many have been barred from receiving the sacrament.
Walsh said most cases she has heard of involved public figures. During the 2004 presidential campaign, the St. Louis archbishop Raymond Burke said he would deny Communion to John Kerry, a Catholic who supports abortion rights.
Vader said the couple never made any secret of their relationship. She pointed to statuettes of two kissing Dutch girls in front of their single-wide trailer home. She also said that the couple posed for a church directory family photo with Vader's children from a previous marriage, and that the church has sent mail to both of them at the same address for years.
Huskinson questioned why Catholics having premarital sex and using birth control are not barred from receiving Communion, too. But the parish priest said the difference is this: The other Catholics are "not going around broadcasting, `Hey I'm having sex outside of marriage' or `I'm using birth control.'"

so...tell me... what do you think? LEAVE A COMMENT.

Summer here we come!

2007-04-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

I took this picture out at the lake today. It only makes me crave the water even more now! I can't wait to hit the lake and camp in our new camper. Dad...get that boat up and ready...here I come!! :)

UnSure

2007-04-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

Andy and I had a few hours alone with Avery today so we took her out to the lake to take some pics. We had such a good time with her. On the way back in town, we stopped by to see Wanda, my cousin Tiffany's horse. This was Avery's very first experience meeting a horse. She was scared...to say the least. Sorry for the bad photo...I was laughing so hard that I couldn't sit still long enough to shoot a good pic. Avery was so nervous that she kept making funny faces. It was hilarious! She is so opposite of Selah...it really does make me laugh sometimes.

Serious

2007-04-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Selah Mykael....getting bigger by the minute.

New Conveniences

2007-03-31T12:50:00.000-07:00

I was given a great toy by my sweety-of-a-hubs. He bought me a new laptop (which I am typing this with now) for school and work. I am so excited! I have been wanting this thing for almost two years now, and it just never seemed to fit in to the budget. He found a great deal on one and ended up bringing it home for me last night. I am thrilled to test 'er out at panera or starbucks! can't wait!!

I know a laptop isn't a true 'need'. But it definitely falls in the "must have" category when you are going to school, working almost full-time, and dealing with four kids every day. I can take the laptop with me to school and stay after class for an extra hour or so to work on homework. I can even type up reflections/notes while in the class--which will save a lot of time! I have been limiting my family so much on the weekends through the last few summers. Since my classes are always on mondays, tuesdays, and some saturdays, i have to devote most of the weekend to homework. Since we just bought our new camper, I will be able to take the laptop with me when we go camping and won't feel so bad about using it when the kids go to bed. I will also be able to work from home on days that I, or the kids, are sick. The possibilities are endless....

My home computer is a Gateway that we bought in 2003. It has just recently started giving me trouble and I really think it's because we have added so much on it with andy's itunes/ipod. Plus, with all of my photography and movies that I do, this laptop will be useful for that. Can you tell I am excited??

So....here's to a new convenience..... and lots of fun......

PS- the picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post....just liked it :)

Steps of Innocence

2007-03-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

Avery dancing on daddy's chair. I love this one :)

(please remember: all pictures are copywrited and may not be duplicated without permission by me first. I am aware that a few of my pictures have been 'stolen' from this blog and printed without my permission, and I am politely asking you to stop. Thank you for your consideration and honesty.)

Great Sky!

2007-03-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Took a few shots on the way to school the other night. I loved the sky!!

I Love The Circus Rides!

2007-03-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

My pal Jonna flew up from Texas for a week, and when she picked up her rental car, they had given her a Chrysler 300....BRAND NEW. We had so much fun driving around in it. (Not to mention that it's Andy's dream car, and he didn't get to ride in it!) Jonna, bless her sweet heart, couldn't drive it worth anything! I was getting a kick out of her taking us for a carnival ride ... we were laughing so hard about it that I had to snap a shot and share it with you all. So... here she is....you can see by the front window that we are literally driving in circles! (in the parking lot at Von Maur!) Fun Times...

Friends

2007-03-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

Friendship is such a great thing. Especially when you can find those rare friendships -- you know, the ones that you can be your REAL self with. You can say anything without feeling insecure about being judged or rejected. You can laugh out loud with them, no matter how funny your laugh sounds. You can cry...and I mean, really cry on their shoulder. The kind of crying that might leave a snot-stain on their shirt...THAT's real friendship! There are only a handfull of gals in my life that I can claim as this type of friendship. And I am so thankful that God placed each of them in my life. Last weekend was a time of joy for me since my good pals Robin (left) and Jonna (right) came to kidnap me and we spent the night out on the town. We went out to eat and to a movie, and it was so wonderful to hang out with them since BOTH of them moved away last year. Robin is about an hour away, serving (w/ her hubs) as missionaries in a trailor park (just kidding Robin!) and Jonna moved to SpanishLand (El Paso, TX) to serve (w/ her hubby) as a missionary in Juarez. I miss them both so much...especially on those days when I just want to kick it and laugh!! So a big THANK YOU to both of them for coming and hanging with me. Let's not wait too long before we do it again!! I love that we can have such different lives, but have one common ground that binds us so close together....Jesus.

Messin' Around Again

2007-03-08T18:45:00.000-08:00

Before editing (above).... After editing (below).

Shoes (manipulated)

2007-03-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Learning some new techniques...

A Day in Her Shoes

2007-03-08T18:35:00.000-08:00

Took this shot just to play around with an editing program :) fun stuff!

Let There Be Light

2007-03-08T18:30:00.000-08:00

The Cross

2007-03-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

sisters forever

2007-02-25T18:25:00.000-08:00

Bigger-

2007-02-25T18:21:00.000-08:00

WARNING: This post is not for those who can't handle vomit stories!!

2007-02-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

I am not kidding you when I say that we have been battling sickness in our home for over a month now. Especially my two youngest--the girls. Avery has been on her "nebbie" (Nebualizer-sp?) for two solid weeks now and I'm not even convinced that it is working. She seems to get better for a day or two, and then back to square one. She is on so many different steroids and drugs right now that she is having constant "squirts" and I am SOOOO mommied-OUT when it comes to changing those gross diapers!! Selah has just suffered from the same ol' seasonal sickness that I have had to endure my whole life. She was doomed from birth! Sinuses, allergies, colds, asthma....you name it, she's got it! She even has eczema like I do! The Lord 'blessed' her tremendously when it comes to taking after mommy!LOL She really hasn't dealt with vomit issues until yesturday. As the day went on, I could feel it coming. She was getting extremely crabby and she started sleeping a lot. As I was chatting with a buddy of mine and talking about his kid being sick and all the vomit issues in THEIR house, it was like a silent voice in my head said, "yup, God is preparing you too Nikki, your child is next". Andy wasn't 15 minutes from being home and Selah blew chunks (sorry for the language!) ON MY NEW CARPET UPSTAIRS!! She could have done it anywhere downstairs on the hard wood floors and I would have been fine. But NO.....she HAD to do it on my cream colored carpet!! UUURRRGH.

OK...you are asking me now, "Nikki, why in the world would you want to share this crap with all of us? Geeez. You are so gross! Pick another topic to write about...and FAST!"

Well, I was challenged the other day when God reminded me to look for the positive in every situation. It is real easy for me to find the negative sometimes and He was reminding me that I need to find the good in ALL things. So....is there good in vomit?? NO...not really. But the analogy that I'm about to give you IS a positive one.... bare with me....

I was thinking about my friends child who was sick. The parents had both told me that he (their son) couldn't keep down anything at all. Not even water. And this is where the Lord took that in my wacked out head.... ready to follow me??

I want to be like that with the knowledge that God gives me. I want to "vomit" it up anywhere and everywhere. I want to be so sick when I hold in Christ and keep him all to myself that I can't help but to "spit" Him out on to others around me....and not care about what they think or how they see me. I want to be THAT excited to share Jesus with others. Not that we are excited when we are sick....but we can't hold it in no matter how hard we try. Our bodies force it out because it doesn't belong inside of us. That's Jesus too! He doesn't belong to me alone. He came to save EVERYONE...and I need to let Him out of me more and more.

Alright...I realize I'm totally stretching with this post....but this is what was on my mind today....don't bother telling me I'm weird, my hubby does that for you every day! :)

My prayer today: Jesus, I want to be so excited about you that I can't help but to share you with those around me. I want to recognize you and to see you working in the lives of others and myself. Please give me the courage to speak up when necessary and please allow me to say YOUR words and not my own. I love you! Amen.

Have You Tried This Yet?

2007-02-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

I have been struggling with my mornings lately. I have to be at work by 8am which sounds easy to some of you, I realize. But for me, it's a huge chore! I HATE getting out of bed in the morning. When I'm all cozy and warm waking up to soft music and quiet (with four kids that's RARE!), then as soon as I get up, it's loud and COLD in our old two story home. I have been addicted to drinking cappacinno in the morning, but since there is so much sugar in it and I am borderline diabetic, I have tried to stay away from them as much as possible in order to avoid going into a "carb coma"(sp).

So this week, my gal pal Gina suggested that I try a drink called "monster". It's an energy drink and they carry one that's a low-carb version. I went to Target today and got a few to try out. Ummm....yeah....I'm AWAKE now! :) They taste kind of like the Jones Soda flavor that I really like, so I don't mind that at all. They are a little on the pricey side though, so I can't go crazy with them~ but I am going to try to find them at Sams Club because I hear (thanx adam) that you can get it by the bulk there and it's cheaper. So....here's to drinking more healthy *raising up a monster can; then gulping it down...mmmmm*!

Time To Move....

2007-02-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

It is time for a change. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I can't stay with one thing for very long at all. The fact that I have been on the same site blogging for a WHOLE YEAR is amazing to me! But it's time for a change now....something new and different. Come by and see me here anytime you like. This site will always be here for your enjoyment, but don't be shy in trying something new with me. Come by WordPress and see what I've started over there. You may find that you like it too!

Here is my new blog address: (stick it in your favorites!!) http://chitwoodgang6.wordpress.com/

Looking forward to 'seeing' you over there!

My Dad Is Awesome!

2007-02-01T18:04:00.001-08:00

My Dad Is Awesome!This video was made by our oldest son Jeremiah (with my help of course). Andy has had a really rough ride in life lately with some deep issues that he has had to take on without warning. It's amazing how God can use a young eight year old boy to make things 'okay' again! We love you Drewski!! keep your chin up and know that God cares about you ALWAYS. *hugging you tight*

PEOPLE OF LIVE VIDEO - DO SOMETHING!!

2007-02-01T12:16:00.001-08:00

PEOPLE OF LIVE VIDEO - DO SOMETHING!!this is a wonderful video that my best (male) friend came up with recently. it has inspired our home and i hope that it will inspire you too! check it out!!

All grown up

2007-01-30T19:46:00.000-08:00

I can't even believe how big our little Avery is getting! She loves to get all dressed up on Sunday mornings for church. She was so excited about wearing this dress and showing it off to daddy that I had to take a picture. It was really cute. She begs me to brush her hair; bringing me the brush and whining at me until i do it. She also LOVES to wear panty hose! it cracks me up!!

Daddy and His Girls (pic)

2007-01-30T19:41:00.000-08:00

Andy and the girls playing around. I love to see them laughing and playing with daddy like this!

What's YOUR recipe??

2007-01-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

Selah's Pizza--

1. Get cheese, pepperoni, bread; make it into a triangle.

2. Add greasy pizza stuff.

3. Bake for 5 seconds.

4. Eat it with your hands and fingers!

****************************************************************

My daughter Selah is in Daycare three days a week while I work. While there, she is involved in a wonderful preschool program that her daycare provider does with the kids and she is absolutely loving it. This past week, the kids learned about what a recipe is and how to use it. They were each told to write their own recipe down and this is the one that Selah came up with all on her own. I thought she did pretty good for a four year old, and for being MY daughter. For anyone who knows me....I can NOT cook and don't even have the desire to. Andy does the cooking in our house, and we are all very thankful for that!

Anyway, after reading this recipe, and after going through some 'moments' in life lately, I started brainstorming about what a recipe is to me. Obviously I don't read recipe's that deal with food, and I don't even look through cookbooks that often. I do enjoy looking at the "Quick Cooking" magazine once in a while and tell Andy "hey honey, that looks good. YOU should try to make that sometime".LOL.

But I started thinking about how our life as a Christian can be like a recipe. We can choose to 'read' it and 'follow' it, or we can choose to do things our way (like I tend to do!) and end up paying for it in the end. If God was going to write out a recipe for our lives, what do you think it would say? What would the most important ingredients be? I have tried to come up with a few key thoughts from scripture. Feel free to come up with your own recipe. I would encourage you to even write it out and put it up on your fridge as a reminder of what's important to you in your walk with Christ. Here is mine:

A Tasteful and Fullfilling Life With God:

1. (Luke 24:47) Repent and turn away from sin

2. (Ps. 32:6) Pray daily

3. (1 Peter 5:10) Restoration of the heart and soul

4. (Php 3:10) Fellowship with Believers

5. (Heb 3:13) Encourage others in their spiritual walk

Mix these ingredients. Then add in the love of Christ, His perfect forgiveness, grace, and guidance.

Baking Time: a lifetime and more...

recipe shared by, Chef Nikki (HA!)

Where is YOUR Gutter??

2007-01-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine introduced me to a great book called "The Gutter: Where life is Meant to be Lived" by Craig Gross. This is such a great and challenging book. The whole concept of it is to get us back into our "gutters" and live the way Jesus lived. Unashamed, Uninhibited, and Unhesitant. Jesus went right to where the people were. He never made them come to Him, he was always reaching outward, showing unconditional love. That's what this book is about. It's about learning where your "gutter" is. Everyone has a different gutter. The gutters are the places that we naturally want to stay away from, but they are the same places that need us the most. They need Jesus the most. The only way they will know Him is if we venture out of our comfort zones and step into their moments of reality and walk them hand-in-hand towards to the Cross. We've all heard this challenge, but have we really thought it through? Have you? I haven't, not really. Not until now...

As I continue to read this, I can feel God pulling and tugging on my heart. He has spoken to Andy, too, through this same book. See, Andy (my husband) has always had a soft spot for troubled teens. He thought that his place in life would be the inner-city missions. After we were married, things just changed in our lives, and that's not exactly where God put us. But we have had numerous opportunities to help with different inner-city missions, and we have been so blessed by all of them. Well, in the last four years Andy has really missed out on that specific ministry. Then, as he read this book, it hit him. We have a similar ministry right here in my hometown! It may not have the cool tall buildings, as many guns, or the same gangs. But it has the same hurting young kids who are lost and are searching for affection, acceptance, and something to believe in. They are the kids that everyone avoids after the sun goes down. They hang up on our "square" in the middle of town and they are usually up to no good. We have witnessed drug dealings and other michevious behavior from them during the last four years. That's Andy's gutter. He is wanting to get muddy....and I am so proud of him for stepping out into the mud!

I am still searching for my gutter. This is a brand new year, and as it starts off, I thought this was a great book to help get me going in the right direction. I am also starting my exercise program and a few other "traditional" new year's goals...but this one has true meaning behind it. I am motivated to seek out where God wants me to get muddy. I want to be used and I don't want to be hesitant. Where is your gutter? Do you know?? I want to challenge you to find it. Reach out to those who really need Jesus this year. Not only the ones sitting in the pew around you....but especially those sitting in the mud. God will bless you for it, that's a promise! Why do we spend so much time with other Christians?? Now, don't get me wrong, that's not always a bad thing. But my point is this: if the ones who need Jesus are being neglected...then are we really able to call ourselves true Followers?

2006-12-24T15:49:00.000-08:00

Had I known that it was this easy to entertain my girls, I would have bought them new underwear a long time ago! My grandma and grandpa had all of us over for the beginning of our Christmas celebration and they bought my oldest daughter, Selah, some new underwear. Today, they decided to open the package up and use them on their heads as different things. First, they were used as "bonnets", then they were "head gear" for sledding (down our stairway), and then they were "masks" as they pretended that we actually celebrated Halloween (which we do not)!LOL Andy and I were getting a kick out of watching them play and seeing all the different things they were doing with the underwear. Wow...it reminded me of the kids I worked with in Mexico while doing my internship there. It wouldn't matter what you gave them, they would be very excited and grateful that they were just thought of. Maybe this was my reminder that it doesn't matter what we put under the tree, but it's the "why" that matters most. Merry Christmas! May you find the simple joys in life as we celebrate the birth of our Wonderful Savior.

2006-12-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

Vlogging Just Isn't My Thing!

Pictures Pages, Picture Pages...

2006-12-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

we had our family pictures done for my mom's christmas gift. it was fun and stressful all at the same time! i'll post more later, but right now i just wanted to share this one with everyone. it was so funny! avery started crying really bad and the other kids all started holding their ears. we told mom to send this one out as her christmas card!! HA! (Pictured from oldest to youngest: Logan, Jeremiah, Sabrynn, Rylan, Selah, Corinne, Avery, and Addison)

I HOPE YOU FIND YOUR SHOE...

2006-11-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

THE FOLLOWING IS A BLOG THAT MY GOOD PAL WADE WROTE AND I THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH SHARING. WADE IS A GODLY MAN WHO HAS WRITTEN SO MANY WONDERFUL BLOGS AND I JUST WANT TO SHOW HIM SOME SUPPORT BY PASSING ON HIS WITNESS. GRAB A DRINK AND ENJOY!
******************************************************************
Wednesday, November 29, 2006

'sole'ly yours...
Ruth 4 7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)I immediately think of Happy Gilmore when Happy is trying to decide a shot and his caddy tells him perhaps a little to the left. Happy responds by saying, no it seems a little to the left because you only have one shoe on.A shoe.I've traveled many miles and one of the strangest things I never get use to seeing is a shoe on the side of the road. Just a random shoe. A tennis shoe, a boot, a flip-flop, a dress shoe, a high heel, whatever it may be; just a random shoe on the side of the road. That is so odd. It seems odd to me probably because I'VE NEVER LOST A SHOE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!How does that happen? Who does that? Are these people insane? Once they get home do they look down and think, oh crap where did my right shoe go?I just don't get it. Weirder still is this ancient custom of "giving your shoe" away when you buy a piece of land. Who came up with that idea? The custom was if you were going to "purchase" land the official sign on the dotted line procedure was to take off your shoe and give it to the guy you bought it from. That was how you made a treaty, promise, or covenant. That's so random to me. It would be weird to go and buy a house and after the realtor gets you to sign the papers you say, oh hang on....you take off your right shoe and say....now don't lose this! Perhaps people still do this. So when the realtor drives away they think what the heck and throw the shoe out the window thus explains the mystery of the single shoe on the side of the road. I'm brilliant!Boaz becomes Ruth's kinsman redeemer through that of a sandal. From a unique perspective, the eternal redemption plan of God is being fulfilled through the giving away of a sweaty and smelly sandal. A silly tradition. Wasn't the fact that Boaz was related to this other guy enough? They were friends, from the same town. All the elders witnessed it. Wasn't relationship enough, why bother with a silly tradition?Just as a friendship without any memories is useless so is a faith without any traditions. I don't want to get on my soapbox again about people who claim that all Jesus desires is a personal relationship are nuts but i might. A personal relationship with Jesus is the foundation but if that is all it is; it is not real. God designed us and God understands that. The elders were present when Boaz became the kinsman redeemer of Ruth but to make it real and practical and substantive...the tradition of what seems like a silly shoe gave that moment an ever present reality; it made it binding. Just like when I gave my life to Christ, why is it often done in front of people....witnesses....but God also desires to make that moment a substantive and binding reality. He gives us baptism. Being dunked in water makes about as much sense as giving away a shoe. But just as 1 Peter 3:21 says:this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you...The giving away of Boaz' shoe wasn't the essence of being a kinsman redeemer just as baptism isn't the essence of being saved (Jesus is the 'essence' of my salvation) but it does flow out of the nature of the relationship and binds the covenant of what God has called us into. Wow I didn't want this to turn into a short perspective about baptism, not at all it's just made me think about it. How important is baptism? Let me phrase it this way.....had Boaz not given up his sandal...he would not have been married to Ruth who would not have produced the lineage and thus the birth of Christ which means there would be no Jesus.Somtimes what may at first seem like a silly tradition just may be the very direct will and commandment of God.How silly was that shoe? My salvation.
-wl

Did You Survive??

2006-11-30T09:48:00.000-08:00

Black Friday...

My sister and I had yet another adventure together. We have made it somewhat a tradition to get up the morning after thanksgiving and endure the rush of shopping for those extra special bargains. This year, we knew we would be really on the hunt since April was wanting to purchase a 42" flatscreen at Wal-Mart. It had been advertised and the sale began at 5am. The store we go to is a 24 hour store, so people are literally shopping there all night just to be there for the sound-off at 5am! So we were up at the butt-crack-of-dawn (3:30am for those who don't know what time that is) and we were on our way. April was #6 in line and only 8 TV's were being sold. She was thrilled! Then she called her husband from the store and decided that she was going to pick up a 20" flatscreen for her mother-in-law. Well, it was being sold on the OTHER end of the store so she sent me to go fish it out of the craziness. I was sneaky enough to rip the bottom of the black plastic with my shoe while distracting a salesperson with conversation. As the lady turned to help another customer, I conveniently dropped my purse to bend down and look under the plastic to see if I was at the right station. (For those of you who haven't experienced it yet, they hide the items under black plastic until 5am and then they uncover them and you rush to find what you want. It's pure CRAZINESS!) I saw " 20" LCD FLA..." and knew I had the right station so I leaned up against it and waited for the walkie talkie to say "Wal-Mart Employees, you may now cut the plastic, the 5am sale has begun!". Then I grabbed the tv and tried to get out of the rush but I was stuck there for what seemed like an eternity! I was boxed in by screaming mad moms and dads EVERYWHERE!!

Finally, I met up with my sister and we quickly rushed out of the store. We hit the "red light" at the Krispy Kreme Donut Shop and got our free hot donuts and our hot mocha's and then made it home. I snuck back up into bed and slept for a few more hours before waking up and making blueberry pancakes for everyone. It was a great adventure! Will we go again next year?? OH YA BABY!!!

2006-11-29T19:00:00.000-08:00

Once Saved, Always Saved ? ... The Final Word

This is a video that was sent to me on YouTube and at first I thought, "this is so cheeeezy!" But after I started really listening and HEARING what she is saying, it was some good meat! So chew chew chew my friends! Enjoy!

A Written Prayer....

2006-11-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

Dear Lord,
I am struggling today dealing with so many individuals in my life. Some who know you and have chosen to ignore you, some who know you and have fallen away from you, some who desire you more than anything but can't seem to find you, and some who claim to know you but by their actions have proven to be hypocrites in their leadership.
Please Lord, keep my tongue on a leash. Keep me in your word and keep your wisdom fresh in my mind. Help me to say the right things at the right times and to avoid all negative talk with others around me. Keep me on fire for you. Help me to clean out those in my life who bring me down or who damage me emotionally and spiritually. Help me to bring others up and encourage those who may be hurting for whatever reason. Help me to love the unlovable at a reasonable distance. Show me how to keep all family drama out of my marriage and family. Protect my innocent children from all harm and wrap your love around them each day. I pray that they will see you through my actions and speech and will know who you are by my example.
Thank you for blessing my family. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for healing my heart slowly and for showing me your grace and love each and every day. Give me the courage to share your love with others.
-Amen.

Thankful

2006-11-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

Here is the list of what I'm thankful for right now in my life....what's your list?--- HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

1. thankful for my wonderful marriage and beautiful healthy children.
2. thankful for our secure jobs and our consistant pay checks.
3. thankful for our relationship with Jesus Christ and how He has blessed our lives so abundantly.
4. thankful for our friendships with others.
5. thankful for our freedom in this country.
6. thankful for those who have sacrificed their lives on our account for that freedom.
7. thankful for my education at Lincoln Christian College (one more year, one more year....)
8. thankful for my awesome parents. (did I just say that?!LOL)
9. thankful for our new van---i'm loving it!
10. and so thankful for the internet where I can blog, email, play games, post photos, and waste so much valuable time all for the sake of having fun!!

Lil' Avery

2006-11-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

Thanks "Aunt Gina" for the adorable sweater and hat!! I absolutely love it!! -Avery

Here They Are!!....

2006-11-17T11:33:00.000-08:00

Oh My Gosh! I can not even begin to tell you just how much fun Selah and I had in Chicago with our good friends. We stayed the night with the Thomas Family and had a great visit with them. Gina and I have known eachother for several years now and have waited a long time for our two daughters (just months apart in age) to grow old enough to take them downtown to the AmericanGirl Place. Grandma and Grandpa (my parents) bought Selah her special "Bitty Baby" doll for Christmas '04 and we like to get her special accessories for different occasions. This year I had decided that Selah was big enough to go to the AmericanGirl Store with me and pick out something special all on her own. She was SO excited. Gina's daughter, Maddy, brought along her Bitty Baby too, and it was so cute to see both girls sharing this experience together. (I HIGHLY recommend this trip to all mommies with little girls!!)

Here are a few pictures that I caught while enjoying our special Lunch together. Afterwards, we went downtown to the Disney store and the Gap. We also hit the local mall area where there was a big (indoor) castle playland area for the girls to run and play for a while while us mommy's could sit and chat. It was so nice to catch up with one another! We hadn't seen eachother since feb. of this year, so there was LOTS to talk about! :) The girls were pretty tired after that, so we headed back to the house for a "pizza picnic" and a Barbie Princess movie. good times!(A special thanks to Gina and Adam for letting us crash at their place for two nights!) Ok...here are the pics....enjoy! Here we are....let the fun begin ladies!!

Selah feeding her Bitty Baby some lunch. (above) Maddy and Selah...friends forever.(below)
Okay, which one of us is the Princess Daddy? (Trick Question!!ha!)

2006-11-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

Portfolio 2

Here is round two...some are old and some are new. hope you enjoy! (i love this song!- it makes me boogy!)

What Would Have Happened??

2006-11-10T05:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving To Everyone!

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I have been thinking of all the many many MANY things that I am so grateful for in my life. I am so thankful for my family, my new van, my friends, my education, and on and on and on...
This morning I began thinking about something else--
I am so thankful for my husband...BUT....there has always been this one little issue that I've had with him. He NEVER finishes a project that he starts!!! It drives me absolutely CRAZY!! We can't really call him "handy andy" because since we have bought this "fixer-upper" we have come to realize that he's not so handy.lol He loves to try things here and there though, and I am proud of him when he does, but I'd be MORE proud if he would actually FINISH what he starts! Take my dining room set, for example. He knew I wanted to buy a new one for our ten year anniversary. But I also wanted a cruise, diamond anniversary band, new clothes, etc. So I settled for allowing him to paint my green set -- he painted it all black and it looks GREAT. Only problem is....there's STILL one green chair!!! uuuurrrrgh. I am having company this weekend all the way from Texas, and it is so frustrating that it's not ALL painted! I tease him all the time about it, and we just recently turned down an opportunity to go to Dr. Phil over this issue even.
So-- as I continue to think about things, I begin to wonder...
WHAT IF JESUS DECIDED NOT TO FINISH HIS "PROJECT"?? I mean, where would we be today had it not been for Him? He finished what he started, and because of that, we are saved. I am so grateful. I am grateful that he chose to continue even when things got boring, old, repetitive, dramatized, exhausting, and cruel. THANK YOU for not quitting Jesus!!

And another thing--
we have the responsibility to continue on with His work. What happens if we bow out? We need to remember that. We need to step up when it gets hard and just keep on truckin'. He needs every single one of us. No one is better than the other and we all need to spread his wonderful love. "No Quitters In This Game People!!! Now get out there and play hard!!!"