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————————————————————————————————————————————- my photography season is at it's end. i had a cancellation for monday oct. 25 at 5:00 pm….any body want that spot? it will be my LAST one. thank you to all the awesome families and couples and seniors i got to know this year. we need to make a trip to kansas! Do you still have an opening for Monday, Oct. 25th at 5:00? I would like to make that work, if it still is available. Thanks for your encouraging words on marriage. A book that is in que for us is Love & Respect by Dr. Emmerson Eggerichs. You are one heck of a busy girl meg duerkson! You are a wonderfully talented photographer….Got a good eye for what paople want to see in things wow – these are fantastic! Meg, I’m a long time lurker of your blog. I have a totally random question. That first family in your post, is the mother’s name Angela by any chance? She looks just like someone I knew growing up. Beautiful pictures. Good Job Meg! I especially like the last one. As usual…such wonderful photos! Do you shoot in RAW or JPEG? I am wondering how you get such great light and no blurry pictures. OK, I am guessing there are some blurry pictures, not shown. 😉 But! The ones you post are soooo amazing. Whenever I shoot in RAW, if it’s not pretty light outside, I get blurry and yellow pics. I fool with ISO, white balance. I am in the process of reading the manual (I know. I’m a dork for not doing it first thing.) and have heard so much,”Take a lot of pictures!” but I don’t seem to get much better. 🙂 I am lovin’ that photo on the red train car — or whatever that is. The colors are fabulous!!! What beautiful pictures! You have such a great way of capturing personalities and different perspectives. I love it. makes me wanna get my family photographed. You come up with the cutest poses! Love them I’m so excited! Can’t wait to see the rest 🙂 Beautiful families! These are all such AWESOME photos, as usual, Meg! I would LOVE to be close enough to Kansas to drive and take that last slot for the year. If ever you are in the Northeast – please let me know as I will drive to see you and have you take our pictures! xoxoxo You have a FUN job! Love it! do i want the slot?? yes…. can i make up to you so that you could actually take the photos… probably not… bummer 🙁 People are so beautiful – all shapes sizes and colours. Beautiful Pictures Meg! And, good for you for cutting off sessions at the end of October…My last ones are Nov 16/17. Next year I will have to do an earlier cut off. What beautiful families…all of them. You do have an awesome job. I would swoop up and take that spot if I could. You know I would;) Hey Megan Oh, all are so fabulous…which is my favorite? I think the last one…or the one with the family in front of an old Western place…or…! I think of the movie “Sweet Home Alabama”. The line “You look like you stepped out of a magazine!”. They are beautiful pics of kids and families. Fingers crossed I emailed you in time. 🙂 I’m getting very, very excited! the sneak peek looks AWESOME! Look at that smile on Syd! Thank you, thank you, thank you! and you’re really good at it (or you just know really handsome people). You make everyone look good! Smart lady…off before the holidays hit. wow. meg. Let me know when you’re in Phoenix, I would hire you in a heart beat! Remember when you started taking pictures of family & close friends…wondering if anyone outside of your circle would pay or even want you to photograph them?! You’ve come a long way, girl and you deserve it! Your photos are always amazing. Please let me know if you ever get to Ohio – I’d love for you to photograph my family. Wish I could take that slot!. 🙁 Would love for you to take pics of our family. Hi Meg!! this craft was inspired by a little picture in the background of a pic on shauna's blog. we made gumball machines. i punched circle shapes out of construction paper while craig and i watched Mad Men the night before. i borrowed the creative memories circle punch from a friend. we made the coin part out of aluminum foil. always has to add the extra details…..goofy guy. has to copy her brother at all times……flying gumballs. no way! How sweet to have your grandpa’s gumball machine. Doesn’t it make you smile? ooooo meg. this is a super cute one. 🙂 LOVE this….might have to “borrow” it cause my kids would love it. This totally looks like it would work to make Rainbow Fish, too! Talby’s second piece of art reminded me a little of fish scales. Using construction paper and maybe mylar circles and some glitter, I can see my family making a school of fish! Thanks for the inspiration! you are seriously the best mom and i love your blog! i’m 21 and not even close to having children…but i would love to be the type of mom you are someday! you are awesome. I meant to add about your grandpa…that is such a great story, and how neat that you have it now! Again, I love it. A small thing, but with huge impact. Love it. So cute…I love Sean’s details! That is so great. He is very creative! 🙂 This is the CUTEST project. I’m thinking of using a lot of your craft Thursday ideas for artwork in my new baby’s nursery (I’m due in January). you have such a cute blog, i’ve been reading for a while but this is my first comment. this is such a cute craft and it would make a great classroom activity too! thanks for the inspiration 🙂 all of your kids are adorable…but i gotta tell you that i just love seeing pics of sean…he seems like a genuinely happy, easy going, fun sweetheart of a kid…his smile and the way he carries himself reminds me of my little guy. Those are GREAT Meg! A couple weeks ago, we made the butterflies you guys made. We were just studying about Wayne Thiebaud’s Art ~ LOVE his cakes, but he had painted gum ball machines too! The kids loved them; when they see these they’ll want to make one. Thanks again for always being such an inspiration!! What a great prezzie your Grandpa gave you! 🙂 That makes me happy. And pictures of them, too. I’m so glad you have that. So cute…You have very artistic kids…wonder where they get it from…lols I love those! All the colors are so fun. This is such a great project. It’s going to be rainy here all weekend, so I think I’m going to have my kids do this. Thanks for the inspiration…as always! 🙂 Oh we made this exact craft each year in the preschool where I worked. This brought back warm memories. Love the Annie D. Those are too stinkin’ cute!! those are great meg. love the craftiness of your kids. im a sentimental softie too. That is such a sweet story about your granpa and the gumball machine…!!! Gotta try this one & cleverly use up my scrapbooking scraps for the balls. Thanks! Always love the story you tell through your beautiful pictures. i love it! So much fun! My kids would love to do this. I love that your boys will do crafts with smiles on their faces. 🙂 I love that Annie signs her name “Annie D.” lol just in case you get her mixed up with your other Annie. She is adorable…and this is a super cute project! HOW CUTE!!!! that reminded me of the gumball machine halloween costume i saw in a magazine yesterday! also reminded me of this cool picture I love your blog!!! I am Jenni Lehman Thomas’ cousin. I just wanted to let you know that I have been peeking at your blog and I love it! I also want to get a necklace from Lisa Leonard- I love her jewelry. so fun & how awesome to have the real gumball machine! can’t wait til mine are a little older and we could do craft thursday…yea! You so totally rock!!!!!!!!! Love it! What a cute project. If you are at a loose end, how about taking a road trip to Florida to do a party for a5 Love the grandpa story about the gumball machine. What a great keepsake. So glad to hear that I am not the only mom stingy with her personal craft supplies!!! My 13 yr. old daughter just loves to go into my craft room and use all my best things. It kills me!! I’m sure I sound so mean but she NEVER asks first! I’m seriously considering putting a lock on the craft room door. But jeez, I hate to stifle her creativity! Love this idea. Here’s one that my 3-year-old could do too. such a fun idea 🙂 I think i will start craft Thursday just for me. I have 2 teen boys (13 +15) that would balk at doing crafts….but who says I can’t get my craft on? Thanks for the inspiration! I remember when gumballs only cost a penny! and mama is going a little crazy. i tried really hard to be calm, nice and not crabby. i will try harder today. of course the furniture is beautiful but i am not ready to dream about that right now. she didn't like hearing that. take one. take two. (not sure what that big knot at the top is…) waffle is so stinky. i paid them in ice cream. i WILL be more patient today. Walnuts are crazy!!! I would never have know what was in those weird green blobs. How in the world do you even get them out. We cannot always build the future for our youth , but we can build our youth for the future . loved your post. there was lots i loved, but the tippy top of my list is how real you are. thanks for being genuine and admitting the funky stuff. you’re the tops, meg! i have those walnuts too!! and hundreds of squirrels to go with them! Love the chandelier! I love this post. Love the things from Pottery Barn, but I am so loving your purse! Love love love! You’re my hero — but I think you live in a time vortex where the days are longer! 🙂 I wish I had the energy or initiative to take on all your projects (not to mention manage to photograph my days!). Your final words spoke to me today…home with a sick little one and it is really easy to sit on the computer and let her watch the tube, but I am going to engage and involve. In 20 minutes, I swear. Walnuts are crazy!!! I would never have know what was in those weird green blobs. How in the world do you even get them out. I am amazed at how good you look when you spray paint. I must change my clothes, not because I want to, but because I’m a mess. Last time I got my haircut…my hairstylist asked what I’d been painting because I had paint all down the side of my hair and I didn’t even know it…heehee. oh girl i just love ya. you are so real and honest. i mantra those things to myself all the time. love that you paid them in ice cream. love that you took a bath while they watched tv and you dreamed of pottery barn. that chandie was gorgeous. at the end of next week i’ll have my girls all day again too. funny how you get sooo used to all the me time and it takes a bit to switch back. 1st of all, I see a Dunder Mifflin coffee cup ~ rock on! i hear ya about engaging with the kiddos…john is away all week and i feel like i’m in survival mode. cook, clean up, wash, clean up, etc. i am definitely not engaging much. and we are all suffering! i must change that! I’ve been wondering: What kind of spray paint do you use? Mc Flurries are Yummmmmmmy!!! This made me laugh. I think we’re leading parallel lives. And thoughts. makes me smile… And I will too… I love your “life as Meg” posts. It’s so fun to sit here and take a peek into your colorful life. You are so brave to spray paint with such nice clothes and boots on! I am so messy when I do projects! I just got that PB catalog yesterday, drool-worthy for sure! I can’t believe your kids are off school already. Good Luck! OH man, can I relate! I only have two and I feel it. I love the blog!! Our kids are off here tomorrow and I am already thinking to myself…”What am I going to do with them?” Hope your LONG weekend goes by quickly and quietly! nice skinny jeans! and i love your headband. too cute haha that’s funny! Our parents used to pay us to pick up walnuts, too! Although we only got 50 cents per 5-gallon bucket. I think I would have LOVED ice cream a lot more. 🙂 and take lots of pictures of your days, that always makes it go by happier!!!! love this post! Ack! You are spray painting in GOOD clothes! I LOVE YOU It is all so hard, isn’t it? You look adorable and I love the pictures:) do you ever come to kansas city to do family photo shoots or maybe even Lawrence? All I could think was – she was spray painting in her good clothes and new boots! I put on the rattiest pajamas and socks to spray paint and paint in. I don’t care what the neighbors think! Great pictures! super good picture of you! Oh…And Donna’s comment is RIGHT…You need a book published!!! Lots of pics. 🙂 I need to pep talk myself. Your makeup is looking fab lately…FYI. Happy Fall! We have two walnut trees in our yard and I know EXACTLY what you mean about the broken ankle. When my daughter was smaller she couldn’t even walk around the yard in the fall without tripping continually over walnuts. Do you ever use them? I feel dumb buying nuts at the store at $3/lb when my backyard is paved with them, but it’s such a pain to actually get to the nut. I keep thinking that if I were more industrious I would be using them instead of just feeding all the squirrels in a 2-block radius. Meg, you even look adorable spray painting. Are those your new boots? They are so cute! I am all about bribing my kids too! A little positive reinforcement. 😉 love this Meg! Especially the list at the end~ Sometimes the Conservation Department wants those walnuts (not sure what for). One year they paid my younger siblings for them. Not a ton of money but to the kids it was. You might want to check them out. I am telling you – you need to write a book ~ just about daily stuff! We are ALL so taken with your blog and your everyday ordinary stuff. You have a way with words and you help motivate me! Get on that book! Oh – lots of pictures in the book please. love that i’m not the only one who spray paints in whatever clothes i have on (instead of changing into paint clothes). i loved this post. You look so cute! I need to know where you got your red handbag!!! I love it! My kids are off all next week. And we’re moving in the middle of the week. Good times! My kids have today & tomorrow off too. This time it’s for P/T conferences.(we do year-round school so it’s already time for these!) Last week they had Thursday & Friday off for a state-wide inservice thing. Last week I let them just be. No plans, no real structure. It was fun but made me crazy. Today there’s a plan. Enjoy the time with your kids! All I kept thinking while reading the post was… wow she sure wears nice clothes to spray paint. I tried to shake it but it just kept niggling at me. If you’ve got the grumpies because of the monthly’s my sister who gets them bad just called me yesterday and swears by a new concoction she’s on. 1600 mg of calcium in 400 mg increments (thats all your body can absorb at a time) and an extract, which I forget the name of. I’ll add it on later today. If its not because of this, then I guess the McFlurry would be a good place to start. How can you not be in a good mood with one of those in your hands? About the kids being off from school-as my husband says -what now? oops, meant to say lamp shades from Target and it was a cheap way for a fresh look. Well since your computer is closed you won’t see this till Friday, but…fun picures, and that is either a really good angle of you or you have lost weight! Maybe both. Funny, if that is a lazy day at your house, you should see it around here. I just got new drum shades in a sort of light textured beige fabric (don’t know what it is) for existing lamps this week and it feels fresher. Enjoy having the kids and the gorgeous fall weather, you’re an amazing mom. love your pottery barn pics, i’d pick those too. i especially love that mercury glass lamp paired with the burlap shade. so so pretty. hope you have a great day with your kids today! Our local school got new playground equipment after a year long renovation. It looks exactly like the equipment at your park – except ours is royal blue and bright yellow. Do you also have shredded tires on the ground? (In case anyone is interested the equipment is called Evos Playsystem by landscape structures.) Good luck! I hope you all have a good day. Fresh air ~ always a good thing! We all have days like that….At the end of the day they know that Mum loves them..here’s hoping to abetter day tomorrow… You have boots on while spray painting.I wish Vegas was cold enough for boots but i am still in shorts.I check your blog every night before i go to bed.Night Night !! Why are they off of school? ***update***
i had my party! and bits comes from what the beads are made out of….bits of paper! the money from the jewelry allows the women to provide
making the beads is a process. you can contact 31BIts on their website about having your own party with your friends.
would you like to see what i have left? click here to see…and buy what's left. it is ALL SOLD! you are the best. they work with reef too!! I love reef, there is a cool new Guatemalan project they’re doing for their girls line, along with a trip give-away http://on.fb.me/c7EXRT I am so sad I didn’t read this one until today. I just love these beads, and I would have loved to help this cause by making a purchase. I’m glad you sold them all! Let me know if you do this again!!! I just got a few things as gifts from 31 bits for my 31st birthday! We have a similar initiative from another part of Africa in my neck of the woods called “Big Village”. This is so neat! I have two very similar necklaces that were being sold at my church last year, when one of the children’s choirs came to sing for us. It was wonderful. The necklaces are beautiful! Because of your last post about them, I went online and bought 3 bracelets so far! I ordered one, received it and LOVED it, then went back and ordered two more! My son and I went to DC for the National Invisible Children Rally last year (for children in Uganda) so this was very dear to my heart. Thanks for sharing! I had never heard of 31 bits until you wore that amazing necklace in a photo and commented on it. I’m so glad you posted this! I’m hoping to host a party in December. Love their stuff and what they stand for. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this meg. I was wondering about my amazing necklace that I got at a booth at the mall. The lady working there didn’t have much info on 31 bits;) Oh man…i was doing okay reading through your post, trying not to get too choked up, until I got to the last picture with their beautiful faces and stories. Wham! Right between the eyes! Kleenex anyone?!! We are spoiled! Ridiculously spoiled! pretty stuff…and I love the story behind it! Darn. I wanted to check it out. That is supa awesome!!!!!! <3 GORGEOUS! both the necklaces and the story behind them! Phooey. I really wanted some. Maybe next time 🙂 you have such a big heart meg So neat. Alright. The Party Cups. I died. Meg! This made my heart so happy! I got my 31 bits jewelry this weekend and nearly screamed out loud at the post office, he he. I hope you sold a lot at your party 🙂 I am going to frame the little postcard with the ladies names because one Ugandan lady has my name 🙂 I wore a piece to church on Sunday and one of the little girls I teach Sunday school to asked me if I made my necklace, I said no that a lady from Uganda had made it named Florence. She then looked at me so amazed and said “how did she get it to you?” I thought that was so sweet of her. I told her I was having a party soon to sell it and she said she wanted to come. I just think this is so great! I don’t know why I am so excited about this! I just simply love it 🙂 sooo…how would one go about having a party like that at their house in another state???? Beautiful jewelry and to think they are all made from recycled items….AMAZING!! meg. that was me up above. the name was a previous joke. feel free to delete! beautiful. It’s amazing how much these paper beads look like the clay beads used in traditional African jewelry. Love it. I bought a necklace and bracelet a couple of summers ago and LUV them! At the time I knew they were from Ugandan women, but didn’t know the company or how to get more. Thanks for posting the links! [url=http://www.dvsajeffco.org/%5Dtibet tours[/url] ltw [url=http://www.chirodomination.com/%5Dtibet travel permit[/url] ntx [url=http://www.floridare.net/%5Dmoncler jackets[/url] mmi [url=http://www.thedamstore.net/%5Dcheap moncler jackets[/url] Help save On Long Distance Telephone calls Using Ooma Telo Free Home Phone Service You are super-deliciously-awesome. Sounds like a description of a cake… but that’s the best I could do for someone who motivates me as a mom, inspires me as an entrepreneur, helps me as a wife, gets my creativivity going as an artist, and above all… blesses me with God’s words from time to time… just when I need it the most. Keep talkin’!!! -Tracy Saw your guest blog and now I’m in love with your blog! Thought I’d say hello! more pics of your house! more pics of your house!! Your house says come on over and have some fun with me and I love that. I really really love your style meg. I want to go shopping/scavenging with you. If only I could come “hunting” with you for a day. It would be a dream! I too am a thrifty treasure hunter. Other than my family & the beach, it’s my most favorite way to spend my time. My husband doesn’t always agree of course 🙂 Can I just move into your house? What’s one extra right? Oh, except I’d have to bring my three kids. They might miss me. What’s four extra..oh, yeah – the husband. Your house is my dream….we have very similar taste except yours is executed better than mine! If I could start from scratch and do anything..it would be your home! Thanks for the inspiring photos! YAY…pics of your house. I love when you show your house. Great post. Great job! Love Ashley Ann… she’s amazing. You guys are two of my MOSTEST favorite blogs to follow! You’re a girl after my own heart. I LOVE thrift store, garage sale, craigslist, and even curb-side finds! I love what you’ve done with your treasures. I enjoyed your 10 on 10. coming back from ashley’s blog…..your home looks so warm and inviting. Like a place where any friend would be welcome. makes me want to get out and thrift shop! yay yay YAY!!! 🙂 It was John John! i want to go nom nom nom through your house. soooo fun. an inspiration in every room! I love all your little ‘finds’ Meg…Very inspiring!!!! House pics!!! Yeah!!!! Loved it Meg! I checked it out and loved it! Looks like I have a new blog to follow 😀 we rocked it. craig doesn't work on columbus day. i went running. so we did take out. we got some groceries. it was a lovely seven hours alone. i have no pictures for you.
Sometimes it is just nice to be in the same house together without all the noise. I kept checking the mail. Forgot it was a holiday. My kids were at school all day and have Thurs-Fri. off. So weird. And different from Illinois. My husband and I spent some time together alone on Saturday ~ it was wonderful. I can totally relate to your post!! Just having a few hours can totally recharge your batteries!! Sounds like a wonderful day 🙂 Lovely!!! 7 hours of bliss : ) My favorite thing is that you say,”We rocked it.” It sounds perfect to me. Love it. magical. yea! I got to spend the day alone with my hubby too…wonderful!! so glad ya’ll enjoyed it! i am guessing your kiddos have school on Columbus Day? I wish our’s did – only because Columbus didnt discover America. oh well….. Good for you and having 7 hours to yourself. Hope you recharged your batteries! I saw this post on my blogroll and blame it on the brussels sprouts, I don’t know, but I first read it as: “Columbus Day. Whatever.” And I thought to myself, now who could have something against Columbus Day??? a sign of a perfect time-not a chance to take out the camera!! Being along together…sometimes it’s enough just to be doing “Whatever” 🙂 Don’t worry about the pics, we’ll use our imagination. Sounds like your kids weren’t off from school today…lucky. 🙂 so glad to hear you had a great day! relaxing with your man, nothing better! 🙂 sounds perfect! |
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Lisa - So wonderfully powerful. You are a great mother.
Take care,
Lisa
Kim - Thanks for sharing. I’m pregnant with our third baby. We thought we were done at two, but God clearly has
other plans for us!
Karen Gerstenberger - Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this.
Brittany - I have this exact same quote on my blog right now! I put it up a couple days ago after I saw it on a Starbucks cup. I think it speaks so much truth. Beautiful.
Ashley - LOVE!
Tami - I actually photocopied that same quote years ago and have it filed away will all the documents of my children’s adoptions. I hope that this is how they always see themselves. Thanks for sharing it!
Kimberlee J. - Email this to TJ. She will love this as much as I do.
Meredith - word.
se7en - Thank-you. We probably all need to here this everyday for one reason or another… In a world full of so much pain we sometimes just forget how special we are.
Vicki - Today I got news that the baby I am busy making in my lovingly large belly may not be what we were expecting. Our baby may have Down Syndrome…more testing is needed to get an exact answer. Today I needed to hear those words. That no matter what, we are who we are supposed to be because we are not our own but His…that includes my unborn baby. Whatever this baby is, it is for a purpose. Thanks, I need to hear that today.
tara pollard pakosta - LOVE IT!
Tracy - I love it – Pastor Rick was our home church pastor for so many years in our early marriage and then we moved an hour away. We still visit Saddleback when we’re visiting my parents for the weekend – and he refers to this SO often in his sermons.
So filled with hope, promise and PASSION for people. Amen!!
xoxo
Suzanne - This took my breath away! I will refer to this throughout the day I am sure. Thanks!
Valerie - LOVE!
Amy Lynne - Amen! I would never trade my boys even though we didn’t plan on them coming when they did!
Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Beautiful. Very, very beautiful.
Lori - Amen. So true! Thanks for the perspective…
Suzette - WOW! Amen! I am adopted and I have never felt like an accident but this just reinforces my feeling of being special!
Libby - What a wonderful reminder as we start out the week. Thank you.
Meredith Salmon - That is a beautiful quote and with all the teens and young adult (mostly) thinking they don’t belong, they have just not realized their purpose and potential. I am sad for all of those that do not and will not have a chance to know their destiny or God. Thank you for this today. I really needed it.
Jen - Awesome!
elma riedstra - Amen!! Wonderful post!!!
Heather - such a perfect reminder. focusing our ourselves never brings about the answers and love we’re after.
Cari - Amen.
I got pregnant at 18 — with twins. Even the good, Christian girl can end up pregnant before marriage. I always struggled with the “why me” (even 10 years later), but this is so true. It’s not about me and my girls are not an accident. They were created by him and for him. Thank you for sharing this today. Just wanted I needed.
jeana - Love this, so much. Great truth this morning!
Niki - Word.
Tammy - Totally needed this today. Thank you.
Casey - Love this. Thank you. 🙂
Tanya - Love this! Thanks.
Laura Phelps - THIS was the talk at mass yesterday.
If we search for meaning within ourselves, we will always feel empty.
Our meaning is in God.
And we need to PRAY.
To say close to Him.
a perfect Monday morning post…
xo
ashley - So beautiful, and so true. Thank you!
Flower Patch Farmgirl - Truth and a pretty flower on a Monday morning. Warmed me right up!
Kate - Thank you. This was such a blessing to me today.
Sugar Mama - I was NOT expecting this on your blog this morning. I wish I could have prepared myself emotionally for this because now I’m sitting here with tears running down my face and my daycare kids staring at me like I’ve finally lost it.
What an amazing quote. This hits me at such a personal level…. I have no words to explain it.
Thank you for sharing!
Deanna - Thank you so much for posting this! I saw this somewhere awhile back and could not remember where! I looked everywhere for it and now you posted it! It is sooo true! Thanks and have a great day!
visart-dali.com - Thank you! This is SO true and beautiful!
Gekakel - Thnak you, so beautiful!
Holly - Amen
Julie - So true. This is really beautiful, Meg.
Tracy - Wow – such true words and I love the part about not being an accident – that is something I think kids should hear instead of being told they were an accident. That would go a lot further, I think. Thanks for sharing and have a great day! :o) xoxoxo
sarah - Love it. And probably just what I needed to hear/read/see as I drag myself toward my next birthday feeling down in the dumps…
jeanne - I LOVE this. So beautiful and SOOOO true!!! Love and miss you my sweet friend!!!