gone to the birds

It has been a bit of a birdy week.  It all started Monday morning as I was sitting on our chesterfield, reading my bible.  I had the front door open, as I often do, to get fresh air (or smoggy air, to be a little more accurate).  All of a sudden there is a little bird flying above me, fluttering madly around.... and of course Nolly is eagerly following it, wishing it would be flying a little lower.  After a few seconds, it flies into the dining room window and falls to the ground, stunned.  Nolly is at it in a fraction of a second, but thankfully I had grabbed a towel and worked quickly to get the cat out of the way and throw said towel on said bird.  I gently scooped up the bird, deposited the bird outside and closed the door to keep Nolly inside.

Now it is Thursday night and there was just a humming bird in the kitchen.  One of the boys, Jesús, was already here for dinner, so he and Eric attempted to catch it.  First Jesús tried to lure it with the hummingbird feeder, but it was a little too frantic.

 It landed a few times, but most of the time it was just fluttering around the light.

 We finally turned off the lights, I got everyone to be quite and it settled down a bit.  Eric managed to get a towel over it and help it find its way outside..... well, he put it outside, I suppose.

Needless to say, Nolly has been a very active kitty lately.  It's fun to be in the Ackermann house!

i love you more

The kids often say that: "I love you more" - when I tell them I love them.  I tell them that it's not possible.  And while I say it somewhat jokingly, as a way of saying that I love them so stinking much, in many ways its true.

I always loved my mom.  She is an incredible woman and I have often referred to her as my hero.  But it wasn't until I had kids of my own that I really got it.  That my love for her became alive, growing.  Being in the reverse role - being the mom myself - made me see how incredibly much a mother loves a child.  Even more, realizing all you do out of love for that child: sacrifices you make, hours agonizing over them - wanting them to grow, wanting them to fall in love with Jesus, the constant prayers.... well, it makes you realize the depth of love and commitment that your mother had for you.  And that just causes your love for your own mother to grow even more.

Love isn't a stagnant thing.  Or it shouldn't be.  It isn't something you just have and then it stays there.  It seems, at least to me, that real love is constantly growing (I should say human love - God's love is so complete and full and deep that it couldn't possibly grow.  It's bounds are already limitless).

And so is our love for Christ.  The more we realize who He is, the more we realize who we are, the deeper our understanding is of what He has done for us, the realization of what He is constantly, currently doing for us, the deeper our love grows for Him.  Human love feeds on Love.  The more Love you see, experience, realize, the more our own love grows.

I feel more "alive" today than I have felt in a long while.  Love, His love is real.  And my love is having a feast.

more teachers appreciated

Since we didn't cover all the teachers for the Ecuadorian Teacher Appreciation Day, we went for the US one.  The kids were a little hesitant - they didn't feel much like making anything, but once they got going, they had a great time.

We made little holders for drink powder to hang over bottles of water..... one for each teacher.  

Mia's:

Lucy's:

Cade's:

Apparently all the teachers were thrilled.  Even though there were small, inexpensive gifts, I think the thought definitely counted here.

Oh baby.....an announcement

So, it is now time for an announcement.  

I have been feeling rather crappy lately - again, yes, but for different reasons than usual.  

This photo of me will help explain (excuse the pajamas)....

Uh, ya - shock and awe.

We are in shock and awe too.

Because of my age and all, I thought it would be best to wait to make an announcement - to make sure everything is healthy and all that.  And then it seemed that it would make it more fun for us to use this method of communication instead of making a bunch of phone calls.

We won't go into feelings and emotions quite yet.  That still needs to simmer a while.

To get me in the right frame of mind, however, I had the opportunity to photograph a newborn.

Little baby Graham - three weeks old.

He was so sweet and amazingly handsome for one so young.

 He was wide awake most of the time, but he finally did sleep.

What a little angel.

 And the happy family: Roberto, Cameron and baby Graham.

They are such a sweet and happy family.  Love them. 

And the cute little heart with the hands photo.....

If that little guy won't get you in the right frame of mind for a lot of photography, what will.  And that is the frame of mind I am in - I have a lot of photo shoots coming up.

Oh, and back to the announcement - I guess I never did formally make it, did I.

I have been extremely bloated lately.

 So bloated, in fact, that it makes me look 4 - 5 months pregnant.  

Gross - looking and feeling.  Not sure what is going on, but don't worry, I'm not that gaseous all the time.

Update:  Let me be perfectly clear - I am NOT pregnant!!!
I apparently have sent my friends and family into a frenzy......

If you want to pass on that "announcement", just tell people to come and visit this blog post.  :o)

Now we are bringing May flowers.

A Time To Plant

Post at Inspired By Family Magazine.