I mentioned before that I’m memorizing the book of James in the Bible. It’s nothing too crazy – only 5 chapters. In most Bibles it’s only a front and back of 1 page.

I guess that probably still sounds crazy to most people. I’m a good memorizer though – that’s all Pharmacy School was for me, memorizing drugs and how they work. And from the first moment I heard the challenge posed by Beth Moore in her Bible Study on James, I couldn’t stop thinking about how awesome it would be to have an entire book memorized.

When I first starting the memorizing process, I was fixing X’s hair. She interrupted my quiet time with her request to have her hair fixed so I decided to involve her in my quiet time by having her help me start memorizing.

She’d read me a few lines and I’d repeat them back to her several times, listening to her corrections each time I misspoke. By the time I had her hair done I was able to recite the first 8 verses.

That was 4 weeks ago. In the time since I have committed the first 2 chapters to memory and am currently working on Chapter 3.

I have found that I absolutely love this. I love the book of James, even though it’s completely all up in my business. I love the memorizing part and I especially love the recitation part.

I began reciting what I knew thus far to the kids before they went to bed. Part of me just needed warm bodies to speak it to and the other part of me liked the idea that they would be hearing the word of God out of their Mama’s mouth. By the end of the first week of doing this, X herself, could recite the first 8 verses on her own. Ironic that it was the same verses I memorized while fixing her hair??? I think not.

At some point one night, after reciting the first chapter of James, I used E’s “Teddy” to make up a story that would reinforce the concepts I had just spoken of (quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry). I must have told this particular bedtime story lesson amazingly funny because now, every night, there are 2 things I get asked for:

1. James
2. Teddy Story

This is Teddy, who E got the day he was adopted (enjoy that trip down memory lane here).

So night by night, I’m challenged not only to recite James to my children but to come up with a new and exciting Teddy story.

The great part is that the kids have begun to ask for “fill in the blanks” when I recite James. And then they fight over who filled in the blank first…..because everything leads to fight these days.

So I’ll say, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourself. Do what it says! Anyone who…..” and they’ll quickly say, “who doesn’t do what  it says is like a man who looks in the mirror but goes away forget what he looks like!”

E’s favorite part to say is the last verse of Chapter of 1. He’s anxious to say it as soon as he knows I’m getting close. I’ll say, “Religion that God considers pure and faultless is this:” and he’ll say “take care of orphans and weirdos in their distress.”  I corrected him on the “weirdos” versus “widows” part but he thinks it’s too funny to stop.

The Teddy stories are definitely the highlight of the bedtime routine for them but I’m filled with joy beyond expectation with how much they are learning of James.

On this particular night when my camera found it’s way into the room, we were thick into Harry Potter as we watched X getting close to the movie break in her book.

Inspired by E playing with the Rhino and Teddy as I recited James I decided to tell a story about “Teddy Potter” and “Lord Rhinomort”.

I know, I know I’m a total dork. BTW, that’s Teddy Potter’s owl, “Curlywig” (ignore the fact that he looks like a monkey).

Luckily Teddy has an invisibility cloak so he could hide from Lord Rhinomort.

This particular night I believe was a cliffhanger. Leaving the kids on the edge of their seat wondering whether or not Teddy Potter would escape from Lord Rhinomort. Our stories vary night by night. We’ve done Teddy as a cheerleader, a girl with a swimsuit ready to go swimming, a ninja, as a boy on the potty who needs to learn to wipe his own butt, a combat fighter, – YOU NAME IT!

But every night they ask for James and every night they want a Teddy story afterwards.

And every night I practice what I’ve memorized, they hear God’s word, and we laugh and be silly together.

This is a good routine. This little bit of my day is bringing so much JOY to me right now.

2012:

2008:

Geez. Was looking through my pictures from the weekend and just couldn’t believe how old the kids are looking. And me. I know I see them everyday but – Wow! – when you see it in a picture its totally different.

Let me preface this story by two facts: 1. I’ve been just itching to see X really “get into” a book (Harry Potter) where she is reading it instead of, well, doing nothing.  2. X wants to be just like me and do everything I do. And since coffee sort of defines a bit of who I am, she is always asking if she can have some.

Okay, so Friday afternoon I see X reading Deathly Hallows and encourage her to keep reading so that we can watch Part 1 of the movies on Mother’s Day. Later on that evening, an idea strikes me and before I can stop the words they are out of mouth and dangling before her eyes. I said, “I’ll let you drink a cup of coffee tonight if you stay up and read Deathly Hallows.”

She was on that deal without thinking twice.

She poured her own cup, added Fat Free French Vanilla creamer, then proceeded to tell me she was going to drink it just like me.

I wasn’t really sure how I drink the coffee in a way that she could mimic, but alas, if anyone would catch it – it would be her.

Can I just tell you that she drained this cup. Not a drop left.

And then she read….and read, till it was almost midnight!

Now the funny part of the story is that at 7am she came into my room, holding her stomach, and said, “Mom – my stomach hurts really bad and I can’t stop going #2″

Ry and I looked at one another and laughed, then explained that it was probably the caffeine.  She took a Tums and went back to bed and felt fine when she got up around 9am.

After Team Newcom (the 4 of us) all worked together (as a team) to clean the house she went back to reading.

She’d stop me and say, “Ahhh – Ron left them!” or “The sword of Griffendor just appeared!” as she read and got excited as the plot thickened.

When the neighbors came over to see if she wanted to play she said no, that she was reading.

Seriously.

What joy it was to see her sit and read all morning.

She didn’t stop until 1pm when she absolutely had to get  a shower so we could go to a Birthday party at 2pm.

Fast forward to Sunday morning, she was up and showered before I even got out of bed and she read up until we had to go to church. And she brought her book with her to church.

And then she read it at Fralo’s while we waited on our pizza.

And then for 2.5 more hours when we got home from lunch, again turning away her friends who wanted to play.

Until finally, at 5:20pm she finished Chapter 23, the chapter that ends the first movie. We made popcorn and got comfy for the next 2.5 hours, watching Deathly Hallows Part I. She absolutely loved the movie and now cannot wait to watch Part II…..which ultimately means more reading!

I’m so very proud that she’s reading (and understanding) this book all on her own. I’d often wondered if the day would ever come.

But, Oh, what a weekend. Drinking coffee and reading Harry Potter incessantly…..it’s a little mini-me. My cup runeth over.

First and foremost: I am not a master photographer or editor of pictures. I’ve been tweaking my editing processes for 2 years to finally get to a point where I’m comfortable, happy, and efficient with what I’m doing.

Second: Adobe LIGHTROOM is my best friend. We spend a lot of time together.

Lightroom is where I upload all of my RAW images to. Yes – I shoot all my pictures in RAW mode. I started a few years ago and have never turned back. Actually I did turn back once and it threw me all off and in frustration I vowed to never do that again.

I’ll pause here and say that I like RAW images because I can manipulate so much in Lightroom and Photoshop. Basically they are not compressed (hence their huge size) so you can warp, modify, saturate, filter, and sharpen till you are blue in the face and then compress to jpeg when you have the picture the way you like it. I need this ability because I don’t get the lighting right the first time around. I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m getting better but I’m no expert on lighting.

Now, in Lightroom, I use Totally Rad Actions designed specifically for Lightroom. I LOVE them – couldn’t live without them as a photographer. The are so fast (compared to Photoshop Actions) and really easy to use.

If I’m doing everyday pictures of my family my editing process stops at this point in Lightroom. I export the pictures I’m blogging strait to my blog pictures folder and burn to full size jpegs all the other “keepers” that I want.

If I’m doing a photo shoot of someone else, however, my process continues in Photoshop. I’m using Photoshop CS2. The product is so expensive that I don’t even allow myself to think of an upgrade. So I’m happy to have CS2.

In Photoshop I also have a set of actions from Totally Rad Actions. I love these too but just not as much as the Lightroom actions. These take a while to run (maybe that’s because I’m using CS2?) and had a bit of a learning curve to them that frustrated me at first. The benefit is that they have a lot more depth and manipulatability.

Here are some examples from some of the Senior Pictures I did with Josiah a few weeks back.

I included my completely unedited version to show the major differences.

LR2 TRA is Totally Rad Actions for Lightroom 2. PS TRA is the Totally Rad Actions for Photoshop.

This last picture, especially was saved by taking in RAW and editing with Actions. My out of camera pic had decent composition but entirely way too much shadowing on his face.

Here are a few of the other shots that I took of Josiah edited through both Lightroom and Photoshop. The pictures I posted last week were Lightroom edited only.

I’m not sure if this helps anyone, hopefully it does.

Questions? Ask away….

X has always had such amazing teachers. From kindergarten till now, not only are they excellent teachers but they are also Christian – something I have been sooo thankful for.

One day X told me that her teacher said to the class, “don’t bother me during announcements because that is when I’m praying for each one of you!” or something to that effect. I though that was simply incredible!

From where I stand her prayers (and my own) are being answered because X has been (girl)drama free nearly all year and her grades are doing much better (most clothing is still prohibited though).

With Teacher Appreciation coming up, X wanted to do something unique and cool for her teacher. I suggested a canvas so she asked her teach what her favorite Scripture verse was: Psalms 3:5-6.

With a little acrylic pain, foam stamps, and a Sharpie Paint pen we worked our magic in no time.

This is X the morning she was going to give her canvas to her teacher. She looks young here, I think its because she just woke up and showered.

I’m telling you these canvases are the easiest thing to do  – and perfect to give as gifts.