Love Thursday

If you live in our family long enough...


you just might get one...


of your very own.


John bought this 1988 Volvo 240 Station Wagon from a music professor in East Grand Rapids. It came complete with this bumper sticker. Peace.

Two Teenage Daughters and a Homecoming Dance

This past Saturday evening, Bridget & Maria both went with friends to the Homecoming Dance at South Christian High School. I went to the mall with them last month to get their dresses, but they did the shopping and picking out themselves. They both did allow me to come to their friends' houses for the pre-dance photos with their friends. I was so happy to oblige.

Bridget, on the right side in front, went with a group of 15 of her freshman friends who were very happy and excited.

Maria went with Frick and some of their other friends.

Or should I say, she went with Mr. Darcy?

Advice from Einstein

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."

Faith

Yesterday was a big day - all of our kids made profession of faith in church!! Indeed, it was so exciting, I struggled with the photography. They started out by telling about their faith and what it means to them. Bridget talked about her favorite song, "In Christ Alone", which she had asked the band to play. Edward talked about going away to Amsterdam and taking this step before he goes. Maria showed a video which she had made of her photography & painting and talked about how she sees God in the world:

Along with our church and family and grandparents from out of state, many friends showed up to offer their support. Here is Bridget with some of her friends:

Such an incredibly awesome day!

Flash Back Friday 148

Maria, 1993

Flash Back Friday 146

Maria & Bridget, Winter December 1995

Heavenly Vision

The city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light. Revelation 21:23

For her senior year, Maria had to do a service project in an area of study which she would like to pursue after graduation. She did the above painting over the break for her friend Abby's 25 year old brother who lives in a group home because he has cerebral palsy. He had asked Maria for a painting of heaven. She used acrylics on a 2 ft x 4 ft. canvas and included gold paint, of course. Last evening, she told me she was going to bring it over to him and I realized I had about 20 minutes to get out the tripod and take some photos. She will do a powerpoint presentation about it for her senior project. Here are some details:

Merry Christmas to All

The Christmas Elves...

...have been a great help this year!!!

Christmas is Coming!

Maria & Bridget, Sunday evening

They still have two days of school this week before break, but they are still happy!

Flash Back Friday 144

Maria & Bridget, December 1998

Love Thursday

I love my teenage girls!
September 2009

Flash Back Friday 143

Panama City, 2002

Winter is coming and I just have my mind on beach and sun lately. I need to get out and do some Christmas photos soon!

Love Thursday

Photo by Maria

One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.
--Helen Keller

Pride & Prejudice

Maria & Bridget have been busy preparing for this play based on the book by Jane Austen for the past 6 weeks. Maria played a girl named Belinda who was a girl at the ball and Bridget was one of the dancers. They put on performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. We went Saturday night and it was amazing!

Maria & Bridget, Frick-n-Maria, Maria with Kate & Abby after the show

Maria played Belinda at the Ball.

Frick was outstanding as Mr. Darcy and Abby was a perfect Elizabeth

Bridget was one of the Ballroom dancers. I took this one at the curtain call.

I also caught a few of Maria at the curtain call.

Love Thursday

What's not to love?

Falling Slowly

This past weekend was so beautiful outside that Maria and I took the opportunity to go on one more senior photo adventure. She has been too busy to go earlier! Sunday afternoon, we walked around downtown and focused on close-ups. Here are a few so far...

We had such a great afternoon, the weather was awesome, we took a potty break at the Amway Grand Plaza, we walked along the river. I could have done this forever and then I saw a hill covered with fallen golden leaves which added to a growing anxious feeling that this time is almost over. Maria didn't want to pose for me on this hill which I thought would have been emblematic of the time - she had about had it.

Flash Back Friday 140

June 2006, OBX

Birthday Week Kick-off

There's something special about the week starting with November 1. The ugly holiday is over, Thanksgiving is coming, All Saint's day. Yesterday, it was so great to see our friends at church, and then we met Edward at Wolfgang's in Eastown for a pre-birthday brunch. And later, our friends Cathy & Ben came over for a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit.

The waitress was kind enough to take our pre-birthday brunch photo


The kids enjoyed big sweet plates of Belgian waffles and French toast


I was trying to capture some of the left-over glitter from Edward's "Edward Cullen vampire costume" but you can't see it


I had Spinach Eggs Benedict


What fun kids! I love how they know how to do this part.

Flash Back Friday 136

Edward, Maria & Bridget, Fall 1999

Island Bound!

Maria relaxing on Kelleys Island this past August

Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving for Kelleys Island to see my cousin Lindsay get married. I'm sooo excited and I hope to take a lot of pictures. Pray that the rain holds off!

Flash Back Friday 133

July 2006, Maria & Bridget

Mixer

Self-Double Portrait by Maria

Today, the girls had the "mixer" today at the high school where Maria is a senior and Bridget is a freshman. As Bridget was looking at the above picture, I heard her say, we really do look alike. Apparently, she has been hearing that a lot now that they're in the same school again!

Flash Back Friday 132

Edward, Maria & Bridget, September 2006