Enjoying Lunch :-)
Posted by Joellen Armstrong Friday, May 22, 2009 1:37 PM 0 commentsAsher's New Do!!
Posted by Mark Armstrong Thursday, May 21, 2009 7:58 PM 1 comments
New cousin Analeigh!!!
Posted by Mark Armstrong Wednesday, May 20, 2009 6:37 PM 0 comments
Chillin' time with papa.
Posted by Joellen Armstrong Tuesday, May 19, 2009 5:40 PM 0 comments
More Photo Stuff
Posted by Joellen Armstrong 11:13 AM 0 comments
I did the 2nd half of a photo shoot started in February and it went really well. I'd had a long week and was a bit discouraged so the photo shoot really lifted my spirits and got me back into my groove (at least for a few days). Alesha Kowalski goes to school and church with Matt (Mark's brother) so I gave them a great discount and Alesha gave me a model release. She is so photogenic it's ridiculous! And they have a place out in the country so I couldn't have asked for a better setting... or better weather and lighting! It was one of my best photo shoots yet. I hope I can continue to book some senior photo shoots during the summer... although I'll be taking a break for a while after our next boy is born... I don't know for how long! It may not be that long actually... depending on our car and babysitter situation.
I know God has been giving me more opportunities for working for Jeanne and booking more photo shoots... I guess I'll just have to trust Him to give me the time, energy and means to accomplish all these things He's setting before me. I still don't feel 100% incredible about pursuing more photography aspirations - well, at least not every day! I would LOVE to open a studio on 3rd street... or who knows, maybe some other part of the world... but I get so caught up in making it make money instead of making sure I am ministering to others while doing this. I am constantly getting off track from God's desires and finding myself either "in want" or trying to provide for myself... I'm just grateful God is bringing it to my attention more often and more quickly these days than before.
Anyway, I'll be doing a referral program to book some photo shoots this summer (outdoor only) so if you refer someone to me, I'll give you a $10 gift card to one of the following places of your choice: Starbucks, Blockbuster, Borders (or Barnes and Noble) or Olive Garden. Enjoy the photos of Alesha!
Sunscreen, 'Little Swimmers' and a pool =FUN!
Posted by Joellen Armstrong Monday, May 18, 2009 2:11 PM 0 comments
Is this kid ever not cute?
Posted by Joellen Armstrong Thursday, May 14, 2009 12:13 PM 0 comments
Mother's Day
Posted by Joellen Armstrong Wednesday, May 13, 2009 8:24 PM 0 comments
Just a late post here...
Mother's day was awesome! Mark is such a great husband. I got to relax quite a bit at mom and dad A's. Although, resting most of the day still never feels like enough... I wonder if it ever will! Maybe in about, hmm, 7-10 years? We'll see, but I'm not holding my breath! Anyway, I just wanted to post a couple photos. Mark actually took them and I did the editing... sad that Mark is such a great photographer using Auto while I struggle to be this good (sometimes worse) using all the brain power and creativity I have!! But still, Asher is so cute... it makes me super curious what boy #2 will look like!!!
How is it possible to be this cute!!!!
Loving the rocks.
Asher and Grandpa A.
Enjoying the pea gravel.
Sitting like a big boy.
Bumps and Bruises
Posted by Joellen Armstrong Monday, May 11, 2009 7:44 PM 2 comments
This weekend was really fun and Asher was such a good boy. He sure gave Mark's parents a lot of entertainment... he can be such a ham!!!
Last night though, he wasn't being bad really, he just sort of became a bit more accident prone :-) First, he fell while walking b/c he was trying to walk over a book instead of around and just before he hit the ground, his binky fell out and he landed on it with his nose. He has a nice red mark just under his nose now and he had a small bloody nose from it last night. Then, around 10pm, he started wailing out of no where... we went in and his leg was totally twisted and between the crib slats. Luckily, he fell right to sleep after a little repositioning.
Today at dinner was the big one :-( We were BBQ'ing and Asher decided he wanted to try and fall down the cement step instead of crawling down. He went head first and had a knot on his forehead within a minute of going down. Thankfully, he's just a little scraped and bruised and he didn't cry for even a full minute! What a trooper! I'm sure there will be many more scrapes and bumps to come... I remember having plenty myself as a kiddo... maybe I can keep him from riding his bike up and down ramps more than my parents were able... he's a boy though, so probably not!
One last thing, the baby name we picked out for boy #2 isn't set... and I'm pretty sure it won't be Desmond after all. There are a couple issues with the name... one being we thought it didn't mean anything, just "from the clan of..." some random Irish place. Turns out, it actually means "man of the world." Um, yeah, we don't want our kid starting out being a person of the world, much less having his name mean that! There are some bad associations with the name in general and we really had only picked it b/c we liked how it sounded so I think we'll be picking something a little more meaningful after all. We'll keep you updated as we narrow things down :-) Have a great week everybody!
Asher loves to sit like a big boy!
Posted by Mark Armstrong Sunday, May 10, 2009 1:25 PM 0 comments
Two Boys - Here We Come!!!
Posted by Joellen Armstrong Saturday, May 9, 2009 8:00 PM 1 comments
Crazy huh? We're having another boy!!!
I was shocked (mostly) during the ultrasound, but it was so neat seeing him, and just knowing that inside is a little boy of ours that I got excited really fast. Now that I know, it seems so normal that I'm having a boy :-)
His first name will be Desmond (Des for short) and we're semi-undecided about his middle name(s). We're thinking Dean Christopher - Dean is Mark's Dad's middle name and Chris is my Dad's middle name. But, it's not in stone yet!
Anyway, I'm so curious what he'll be like and look like. I look at Asher and just cannot help but wonder how similar they may or may not look. It's so fun to think about what next summer will be like and all the years to come after that. I'll get to be the reigning woman of the house... how fun is that? On the ultrasound he was moving his lips and sticking his tongue out, you could even see his eyes looking around! Lucky me, he is breech-transverse which I hear is the most uncomfortable way they can be sitting and kicking... I must not be such a weenie after all... b/c he kicks hard!
Well, I'm super excited to meet him in a few short months... can't wait to show him off!!!
Trip to Coos Bay
Posted by Joellen Armstrong Monday, May 4, 2009 10:35 AM 0 comments
This weekend was pretty fun! We decided to go down to Coos Bay to watch the Kentucky Derby with my family and just relax and catch up a bit. Asher did great! Well, the ride down wasn't so fun but once we were there everything went pretty smoothly. Asher had been having a few yucky diapers the 2 or 3 days before we left and he was being pretty cranky in the car. We had decided to take 101 instead of I-5 and Hwy 38 and we made it to Newport just fine. We stopped, ate an early dinner and let Asher run around for a bit. Then, about 20 minutes past Waldport, Asher was being so fussy and whiny and we couldn't figure it out. Asher threw up about 3 times in the car and luckily there was a small lookout to pull over to. It was a mess!!! Praise God I had brought some plastic shopping bags... I don't know why I did it! We cleaned it up in only about 15 minutes, changed and wiped down the kiddo, took the removable pad off the carseat and took off again. Asher seemed to feel a lot better! He mainly rested and looked out the window the rest of the drive so we decided to take the other route on the drive home!
We figure he must have been a little bit sick before we left and the windy roads in combination with that must have caused the vomiting. He's been great with all good diapers since. And he loved Grandma and Grandpa's house :-) He followed their dog (and Tracy's) all around the house, pet the kitties and practiced quite a few of his new words for my parents! It was so fun! He really started using the word "please" (peesh) a lot... once incident was so cute... he wanted some of Mark's pepsi so Mark gave him a sip... after about 2 or 3 seconds he would reach up and say "peesh"... he did this about 5 or 6 times... it was so cute!!!
We got home yesterday afternoon, I took a nap when Asher did, had some leftover ham soup for dinner and just hung out in the playroom until bedtime. It was relaxing, non-stressful and fun... a great weekend all in all.
That said, this morning I've been feeling odd. I don't have a big to-do list though there are a few minor things that could be done... plus I'm always tired so I figure I'll just take it easy and do a few things here and there. I'm reading a book called "Experiencing the Holy Spirit" by Andrew Murray and it's been pretty inspiring so far. God has really been speaking to Mark and I about the vanity of "things" lately. It's always been a strange thing for me b/c I can EASILY become engrossed with stuff... clothing, accessories, beauty supplies, money... just about anything pretty. This book has been a great challenge for me to consider where I am placing my trust and my hope. Is it in looking good? Having the ideal life? Being about doing what makes me feel good? I must admit, it isn't often in seeking what God has for me or living a life pleasing to Him. I mean, overall I always want that, but I just get so easily sidetracked! Here's a great quote from the book...
"Oh, that we understood better that nothing hampers us as much as secret reliance on ourselves."
This is so true for me! I spend a lot of time thinking of ways to "improve" my life, ways to earn more $$$ to be able to do the things I want and buy the stuff I think will make my situation better. I think I can take care of myself and forget that God really is the one who brings us all our supplies. He has an endless abundance of cash, food, clothing... EVERYTHING ON EARTH IS HIS. I need to sew this into my mind! I get distracted by how I look or what other people want from me. Instead of trusting the daily events to Him, I try to plan out how to make sure the day operates in a way that is comfortable to me. But I don't want to be this way. I want to be filled with His Spirit every day in a way that will bring joy to everyone I talk to, especially Mark, Asher and this new little one. I want to not worry about what needs to be done but to exert my energies on what I can do, when I can do it while relying on God for strength and means.
I'm so thankful for the women in my life who have helped me see these things. And friends who've advised me patiently knowing that I'd sooner or later see things more clearly. I'm trying to take some steps to keeping some of those material things from creeping in and taking over... I'm sure some people, maybe even some of you reading, would say it isn't necessary, and it may not be for you... or it may be that we've become so accustomed to "things being that way" that we forget the heart of many of those "things." I'm not going to preach about it or get detailed on the ways I am doing this, but I am going to encourage all of you to take a look at what fills up your day and why! Look at your mood and ask God to reveal why it may be the way it is. Discontentment is one of my biggest enemies and it comes down to the fact that I don't trust God they way I think I do.
One more thing, my mom gave me a small book for Mother's day that is absolutely wonderful! It's a REALLY quick read, I think it only took me just over an hour maybe. It's in the car with Mark at work though, so I'll have to give you the title and information about it later... but thanks mom!!! That book really got me thinking as well... I love you! And last but certainly not least... Mark bought me an ultrasound (insurance stuff is a long story) for Mother's Day so this Saturday we'll be finding out if we're having a girl or a boy!!!! I'm so excited!!! Hopefully I can make all the calls I need to in the afternoon so I'll be able to post it on here either Saturday night or Sunday... be checking on facebook too :-)
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