God Speaks to me

And all of his people through many different ways.  Often for me it is through His word, other people, and even my inner thoughts (hello, Holy Spirit).  Today he used his people and my tailgate.  Yes, you read that right, my tailgate.

This morning I left Far, Far Away in a harried mess at 7:45.  In a harried mess to get to an appointment by 8:40.  To get to my appointment by 8:40, and then wait an hour to be called; then wait another thirty minutes in the room.  All for the doctor to spend a total of 2.5 minutes in the room.

I didn't get to have my morning time with my sweet girl.  I didn't get to eat breakfast with my McBeardy like we do every morning.  As I waited and realized all this I started to twitch with impatience.  As my neck was twitching to the left, I noticed a sweet little girl across the room that looked incredibly like my blue eyed darling that was probably singing sweet praises to Jesus at school while I was there.  Incredibly like her, yet so different.  Bald and deep, saddened eyes.  Then my neck twitched to the right as I heard them call yet another name that sounded nothing like ours.  I heard a shriek from that direction as well.  This horrific noise came from (what I am guessing) a 15 year old boy in a wheel chair that was playing with and thoroughly enjoying a toy equivalent to something that Patton will enjoy entertainment from in just a few short months.  You see, I was in the waiting room if the orthopedic center at Driscoll Children's Hospital.  Waiting for what I was praying  to be the last time I had to ever sit in that colorful office ever again.  And that's where I broke down.  Blinking back tears while in my heart and mind I hit my knees and bawled to The Lord with humbleness.  Why am I, ye who is so unworthy, chosen to be so blessed to raise these beautiful,  "normal", bundles of joy?  Ye who makes such a mess of this life on an hourly basis?  Thank you, thank you, thank you most gracious Father.  Gracious.  Your people's actions spoke loudly to me there.  I heard you; be thankful and enjoy them more.

The wonderful news is (thank you gracious Father) that Patton doesn't have to wear the brace any more.  There is still some slight slack on the left hip, but not enough to stay in the brace.  We are all elated.  Even Patton.  He let out a giggle and grin while doc was spreading the good cheer.

Since I had to wait a bazillion minutes there I was running behind for my next appointment.  So what did I do?  Left that place in a harried mess, all the while just thinking about my next cup of (decaf) joe.

Since the first place set me back, everything was off "schedule" for me and for what I had planned out as Patton's eating spots and times.  When you nurse and live where we do, you "have" to map all this out ahead of time.  Have to.  Half way through my grocery excursion Patton chimes in to remind me it's been over 3 hours since he had groceries.  So I finish shopping in, you guessed it, a harried mess, did a few transactions at the banking center, rushed to the car, loaded the groceries in the back of the suburban with the button operated tailgate that works without unlocking the rest of the car, shut said tailgate with a button, twirled basket around to put Patton in and couldn't open the door.  2 second thought, " hmmm, didn't unlock the door silly!  Oh gosh my keys!!"  Get back to the tailgate just in time to see it closing on my ever lovin' only set of keys.  At 1:05, almost 4 hours after little man had eaten and only 55 minutes till I needed to pick up Kirby 30 minutes away.

Panic. Set. In.  Only set of keys.  Patton needs to eat.  Call CR.  He's gonna be so mad.  Patton needs to eat.  Panic.  Pray.  Ahhh, prayer.  Instantly feel better and reason sets in.  Front passenger door lock has been giving us issues.  It was unlocked!  Of course horns start honking like I'm in downtown Houston traffic at 5 p.m. on Friday evening.  Alarms are so annoying.  Put Patton in drivers seat so I can crawl over all the seats to the way back, dig under the groceries and .... Can't even see the ever lovin only set ofkeys.  They were perfectly, imperfectly stuck directly under the gate and I couldn't see them from either side.  Call CR.  for once, sorry to say, he was no help.  He was going to try Pop A Lock.  In the meantime I was going to problem solve.  Then I see it.  Sitting there in all it's glory.  The wooden spoon that I use to discipline Kirby.  Aha ... Run to the back with spoon in hand, alarm still going off and people looking at me like I'm crazy (you giggled I'm sure .. "Like" you're crazy?) try to pry up the tailgate.  See keys ... Can't get them.  Shucks.  Good thought!  Prayer again.  Shut up alarm.  Tweezers!  I have tweezers!  Oh goodness, if CR took them in after he saw them the other day so help me ... Boom, they were there.   Run to back, spoon and tweezers in hand, pry tailgate up, grab keys with tweezers .... Darn too slick.  Won't grasp.  Prayer.  Worked keys around to different direction, used tweezers to push unlock on key fob, press tailgate button on outside of car ... And keys.  Reachable.  Workable.

So there it was, my lesson from my tailgate.  Slow down long enough in life to grab your keys. Your  keys that get you from point a to point b.  Your keys that, without, you will end up panicked with nervous onlookers praying for you deeply.  And possibly calling the cops.

" Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is."  Ephesians 5:15-17

Just another Manic Monday

Happy beginning of the week my dears!  Hopefully this blog post finds you well and rested.  Ha, if you have kids I know you just laughed. out. loud!  I see Facebook posts, Twitter updates, and hear random people throughout the day on Fridays saying, "yay, it's the weekend."  For a minute I think the same thing and then I go, "Oh ya, I'm a mom, photographer, and farmer's wife .... none of that equals rest for the weary."  But oh, what a blessed joy it is to wear those hats of many colors.

Saturday morning after I had an early photo shoot we loaded up the tikes and headed south to the valley.  This was my first trip that way and I was pretty pumped.  However, everyone I talked to about that excitement told me to take it down a notch.  Ha, they were right.  But it was much more of a booming metropolis than I expected.  I mean, they had quite a bit of the buzz to do around town ... much more than out here in Patrickville.  They even had a Starbucks, with Starbucksy people in it doing Starbucksy things.  If you don't know what I mean, go visit one today.  We took that track south to go visit my cousins and see their beautiful new home.  I did not take any pictures because I did not want to steal Rachel's thunder ... I am sure she will be blogging soon all of her cute decoration ideas.  It is precious and perfect for them.  Rachel already has it looking like a house straight out of Country Living.  When I walked in I said, "How is it that you have been here 2 weeks and it looks like this and we have been in ours 2 years and I still have unpacked boxes?"  She admitted she has a problem.   I know they feel settled now that they are in their own house in this new town they call home.  We always enjoy hanging out with them and we always eat good when we get together.  Ryan made some delish pork chops on the grill; we even heard one oink.  Kirby loves Rah-rah; she turned her on to all things girly such as painting nails.  She always paints Kirby's nails when they are together and I love that they share that.  Kirby also liked throwing the ball for their huge horse of a lab Boudreux and telling him to "go get it fast!"  Patton enjoyed the visit, too.  He got to hang out with Ry Ry in his recliner for a bit before we had to feed and get back to the homestead for bedtimes.

Last week I mentioned that sweet Kirby Rose got to go along with me on a photo shoot for a maternity session.  We had so much fun at the park and it was a refreshing break for her with just mommy.  As she went down the slide, before she was even half way down she would say, "Do it again ... I go slide again!"

She is into mimicking everything that people do these days.  WATCH OUT what kind of world you put your kids into!  So, after taking this photo of Kandyce:

She decided it "was hers turn" ....

Kirby loves to play chase with CR in the house.  This is her latest crack momma up statement:

She comes running into our bedroom and shuts the door behind her.  She takes about two steps in, wipes her brow with her forearm and says to no one in particular, "whew ... that was close."

This morning we had to shoot out of bed and get started on our busy week.  Today I took Patton in for his monthly sonogram of his hips.  The encouraging news is that the radiology doctor (whom usually never says a word to me except, "doesn't he have a pacifier you can give him?") said she saw significant improvements and hardly any slack at all.  If any, there is some now on his left hip.  Last month his right hip was totally out of whack, so I am thoroughly encouraged about going in to see the orthopedic on Wednesday.

Patton is doing well in all other aspects of life.  Friday he rolled over from his back to his belly.  Little stinker in developing and growing WAY faster than Kirby did.  Yiksers.

That tis all for now my friends.  Kirby is still on her way home from school and I have a ton o' senior sessions to finish and get set as galleries.  Stay tuned for more entertainment from this place we call ours.  CR is investigating what it takes to have a town named; he would like to name our vast empire out here Patrickville.  I told him Crazytown was more like it.

"Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching." Proverbs 1:8

Two months in a FLASH

OK, so Patton is getting older much faster than Kirby did ... or so it seems.  Gosh, today when I was on the phone with mom I realized how stinking fast the days have been flying by.  Busy and blessed with so many opportunities right now; not just job related but I truly feel they are all God related.  I have had to learn the hard way that just because it sounds good, doesn't mean it's God.  Hard to decipher.  And just because it's a God thing does not mean it is a God thing He is calling Lauren to do.

Back to Patton being 2 months.

At his check up last Wednesday he:
Weighed 11 lbs, 12 ounces
Measured 22"

That is almost a 5 lb gain and growth of 3" in 2 months.  I think it took Kirby 6 months to do that!  I will have to go back to her blog posts and check for certain.

He is holding his head up so very well and so high.  He doesn't hate tummy time, but he doesn't love it either.  He tolerates it much longer than Kirby did.  Today he looked like a turtle propped up so high on his pillow.

He is still in his brace.  We go back Monday for his next sonogram and then Wednesday to meet with the doctor.  Why we can't just do it all at once is beyond me ... I think they get a rise out of killing peoples' time.  Seriously, I swear I saw one of the receptionists laugh when she saw all the people waiting last time we were there.

Patton loves to smile and coo right now.  He is happy 95% of the time, and the other 5% he gets happy very quickly.  So far it is just when he wants to eat.  We are still dealing with reflux issues but the medicine they put him on has helped a ton.  Due to the brace making him sit like a frog and his needing to be propped up for his reflux, I have realized his car seat is the best place for him to sleep right now.  I really hope this doesn't come back to bite me in the butt when trying to put him in a crib.  I have been "sleep training" him in his car seat, so don't judge me if you come over 2 years from now and you see a 2 year old sleeping in a car seat.  Hey, he's sleeping, Jack.
Here are some snaps of his last month ... check out his cheeks!

 This one was actually from today.  Patton got to go along on his first photo shoot.  He loved the Baca's .... I think I see a date night in CR and I's future.

*Sorry for the quality of the pictures ... they are all from iPhone and iPad.

I can not leave out Miss Kirby.  She is coming along with this whole having a brother thing much better now.  I seriously thought to myself, "Oh my, what have we done" for awhile there.  I know, this too shall pass.  She is starting to understand she can't ask me to actually get up and do something while I am nursing.  She brings things to me now for us to do together while I nurse.  She is still a little toot about it at times, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel.  The spoon has not had to be used since the last time I blogged.

Her absolute favorite thing to do right now is play doctor.  If you come over, she will more than likely give you a physical.  Complete with checking your heart for joy, your ears for potatoes, your mouth for alligators and your nose for snakes.

She continues to do and say the darnedest things.  Today she saw a cucumber on the counter.  She reached up and said, "Oh, Larry ... let me rock you."  She proceeded to pat him on the back and rock him.  Then she disappeared.  Later I was putting something away in her room and noticed "Larry" tucked in her bed.  When I came out she saw me and asked, "Larry still sleeping?"  Don't worry, he ended up back in the kitchen and is not in bed with her tonight.
Here are some snaps of her and her adventures lately:

 Our morning coffee "cheers".

 Waiting for her check up at orthopedic.  She met a friend ... she told the girl, "Hi little girl friend."

 Painting with food coloring.

We had to take both kids to urgent care a few weeks ago because they were both so congested and wheezy.  Thankfully they just had upper respiratory junk and not RSV again or pneumonia.  Here is how we passed the time ... doctor!

 The other evening there was a paper sitting next to me while I was feeding Patton.  I guess she thought it looked like a cape that they put on you when you get your hair cut, because she decided it was time for hair cuts in the Patrick house.  Now if I can only teach her how to shave daddy's beard while he sleeps ...

 Wearing one of Patton's diapers of course.

Monday evening she got to go with me on a photo shoot.  She loves them.  I love her.  I love this picture.  

"But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God."

Luke 18:16

So God Made a Farmer

and I ask that you pray for those farmers.  You know, I often complain (not reaalllly, but kind of) about my husband's chosen profession.  It is a lot of work for not a whole lot of gain these days.  It's not just "a lot" of work ... it is a lot of hard work.  Hard decisions.  Choices that not only affect you, but eventually the entire population.

Where do you think your shirts get their cotton from?  The grain that your chicken ate that you are eating for dinner tonight?  The hay that the cow that your steak came from last night at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse?  A farmer.  A farmer that tilled the ground, planted the seed, prayed for rain, prayed over the crops, harvested and shipped the crop.  Thank God he made farmers.  According to the students that I taught the past 5 years, that is way too much work for 90% of them, so they would for sure starve to death and be running around naked.  It goes so far beyond all that, but that is just to put some things into perspective for you.  And about the rain thing ...ya, we haven't had any substantial enough for wonderful crops in 3 years, so that adds to the difficulties of this chosen profession.

When I was telling a friend and photography client about where we live and what we do, she said, "Oh gosh, you're like a real life Pioneer Woman".  First of all, The Pioneer Woman is real life; her name is Ree Drummond.  And yes, my life is very much like hers, minus all the luxuries of having people pay for ads and to be on her blog and having your own show.  Sometimes I tell people (so that they can get a mental image) to picture Pioneer Woman crossed with Duck Dynasty.  You laugh, but I am serious.  And I love every minute of it.  Wouldn't change a single thing.

The reason for this rant is this article from Texas Farm Bureau.  It's title alone made me cringe.  It is already hard enough for us with taxes and health insurance.  Health insurance has been the worst experience since quitting teaching to start my own business and work from home and having to find individual insurance.  There are tons out there and most are affordable.  Until you have to have a C-section for your babies.  Since Obamacare, individual insurance can no longer cover those.  So you have to find a group to join and get under that said group. Which was expensive enough, and then after this past election and other new health regulations, it went up again.  And the actual coverage ain't worth a darn.  A darn.

However, my husband and I will both continue to work our tail ends off because we love what we do and do not expect anyone else to work to pay for us to live our lives.

Please pray for our nation ... to fall on it's knees and beg for forgiveness and redemption; otherwise things like this are going to continue to get worse.

Off my soap box and on to change a dirty diaper ....

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."  1 Timothy 2:1-4

Kirby lately

From the mouth of babes:

• I hold it and I won't drop it ... I won't drop it.  (says this about anything she wants)
• When she doesn't want to watch something you ask her about, she responds, "no, that's in Spanish"
• I love you (mommy or daddy)
• Read my Bible.
• While eating she often talks to herself (or possibly she's talking to her food) and she says different names including Jesus.  Not sure if she is praying or talking about friends.
• I'm going to school to see my friends .... Later.
• I want to sit in yours lap.

She is growing and learning so much.  Her imagination is wild at this point and I love it.  We have had a bit of a challenge with discipline.  We've noticed that spankings weren't really working with her.  The other day on the Christian radio station they were talking about love languages (I've never read the 5 Love Languages book but heard it's great).  They were talking about the language of serving and pleasing others and I snickered and said, "sounds a lot like me .... Come to think of it that sounds like Kirby, too".  So I came home and shared a thought with CR.  I said, "let's try a different approach with her. Lets ask her when making decisions and disobeying if she wants to make us sad or disappointed."  This seemed to really work well with her.  Then I started thinking that we needed to make it a more positive experience and show grace and mercy. So instead of saying, "do you want to make me sad/angry/disappointed" we use "happy/proud, etc.  There are some instances that will call for spankings I know.  In fact, the other day CR introduced her to the wooden spoon.  Today she was blatantly disobeying me and I said, "do I need to go get the spoon?"  She said, "no mommy, the spoon hurts my bottom" and immediately did what I had been asking her to do.  After she was finished, I pulled her in my lap and told her how much I love her and how happy it makes us and God when she obeys with a happy heart.  Parenting is tough stuff, but it is a job that The Lord has blessed us with and I am honored that The Lord chose me to be Kirby Rose's mother. 

Proverbs 13:24

²⁴ Whoever spares the rod hates their children,
    but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.