The Face of the Future

Okay, so I lied. (Or at least, I inadvertently led you down a path of misinformation.)

On Monday I wrote that I was posting the last of our family/Christmas photos but then I found a few more that I had forgotten about which will take about two more posts. And then THAT will be it–I promise! (I just didn’t want you to worry I’d still be showing Christmas photos on the Fourth of July.)

But before I get started on today’s photos,  I wanted to post some pictures I created on my iPhone last night in the middle of my Prednisone-induced insomnia that lasted until 3:30 a.m.  (The night before that, I was up at midnight, organizing the jewelry and scarves in my closet. Good times!)

At any rate, I had come across a free app called Adobe Post and enjoyed experimenting with it. Here are a few things I came up with.

Fun, right? I’ll have to try to contract insomnia more often.

So let’s get on to the rest of post . . .

(And if, per chance, I already shared some of these pictures in earlier posts, have mercy on this muddled, middle-aged, malaise-ridden and fevered brain of mine and just pretend like you’ve never seen them before.)

As I was looking through my December photos, it occurred to me that I didn’t have a lot of shots of Meagan. But then I remembered why.  She had been feeling poorly from several ailments during her time here so we were all giving her Stern Family Lectures to just stay in comfy clothes as much as possible and  rest–makeup,  hair styling and fancy clothes not required.

There were approximately 5,347 times I wanted to take photos of her during the visit but then I figured there that are few things worse while on vacation than having a mother-in-law skulking through the house with a Nikon in hand, ready to jump up from behind the sofa and catch you in an unmade-up state.  So I pointed my camera in other directions but am sad about nothing having as many as her as I would have liked.

This is one I caught of her on the day they were leaving–she was feeling rested and revived and it catches her in a signature, sassy moment. This woman is all about sparkle and verve and a love for life.  Love her!

Nathan, on the other hand, didn’t have a lot of concerns about HIS hair or his stylish ensembles so I felt plenty free shooting photos of him. (Which he steadfastly endures with gracious, sonly patience.)

He has always been a teacher at heart and has shown me a lot of things on my computer and phone over the years.  (As has Sarah.)  On this particular visit, he spent several hours working on getting my back up system straightened out and organizing some rebellious files that had somehow run amok on my computer. I appreciate that son of mine!

Of course, staying up late working on the computer requires that a nap be caught the next day. Madison was on the floor “helping” Nathan nap.

It occurred to me that I hadn’t posted any (or at least many) photos of our annual Christmas-Time Pancake Making Dinner Tradition. I’m not quite clear why Nathan is wearing the hat but I’m sure it make perfect sense at the moment.

Noah loved our porch swing and went outside for various Porch Swing Sitting Opportunities during his visit. Isn’t it wonderful when life is so simple that just sitting on a swing is a highlight of one’s day?

On one particular morning, I snapped a series of shots of Nathan and Noah hanging out together. They take such happy delight in each others’ company.

After a few minutes of masculine merriment had passed, Madison decided she wanted to have a go at the Fun Daddy Time. I can’t tell you how it filled my heart to see my two grown up children together with Madison. Oh, how the years have flown.

That disembodied hand you see in the left corner is Steve’s.  He was valiantly trying to do his usual Bible reading over breakfast, but he finally gave it up in the face of so much joyful tumult.

I LOVE the expressions on both of their faces–sweetness in every pore.

Even though the following picture isn’t from Christmas, I’ll sneak it in here. It shows Sarah this past Tuesday morning on the first day of her last semester of her second year of college.  Hard to believe she’ll have her Associate’s Degree in four months.

And on the subject of college, Sarah has recently made a change in her college major and her career plans.  She is no longer majoring in teaching but is instead going into a field encompassing digital media, graphic design, electronic media, and video editing/production. She will still be able to use her writing, editing and story telling skills, just in a more visual way.

More and more churches now have full-time media teams who work with lights, sounds, graphics, and videography. She might use her skills to one day be on staff at a church in that capacity, or she can help missions organizations put together publicity for their ministries, or work at any number of business as well as doing free lance work. It’s a field she is very passionate about and  we’re excited to see her pursue this long time dream of hers.

In Closing . . .

When we were at Steve’s parent’s house in Charlotte (right before Christmas), Noah sat down at their piano and for several minutes banged the keys at the top of his lungs and sang (shouted) out, “I love Daddy!  I love Daddy!” over and over again.

We were all splitting our sides, laughing, listening and watching. There was such passion and energy in his little (big) voice. I had thought I was recording it on my phone but it turns out, there was a glitch and nothing was saved.

During their visit home, we tried to set Noah up to do it again. 

We did just get a little of a repeat performance–enough to bring a smile.

What a joy to behold the sweet face–and the voice–of the future.