Those Belschner Girls

 

 

 

As promised a few weeks ago, here are more pics of my sisters family... Can't get enough of them!

Sweet Caroline... another cute shot!

 

How many cute expressions does this little girl have?! What you see in this photo is AS-IS. No digitial fix-ups were needed in any way. My favorite kind! :-)

Lens...

Yes, I know. After much research, I have officially dropped the "e" on the word lens. I must take responsibility for my previous TITLE OF MY OWN BLOG... So, I guess before I go pro here, I have to learn how to spell all of my equipment.
Just for your info, though, I did look it up. I have always trusted Mr. Webster. But he is a bit old, and he had it as "lense." That's why our family needs to invest in updated versions of the dictionary OR just google any word in question. Which I did, and here are the results:

Google stats:
Lense - 2.3 million refs
Lens - 54.9 million refs

"lense" is an accepted variant and perhaps more widely used among those who speak the Queen's English.

and from Princeton:
Noun
S: (n) lens, lense, lens system (a transparent optical device used to converge or diverge transmitted light and to form images)

The archaic spelling lense is sometimes seen, but Merriam-Webster's medical dictionary is the only major dictionary that considers this to be correct.[1]

So, that's enough. I'm not really stupid or crazy. Just archaic - and I'm working on that. Just in case you wondered.

Sweet Caroline

 

Saturday am, I finally got around to taking these of Caroline Reynolds. She is always a very pleasant baby, so getting a smile was the easy part. Getting creative was the fun part. And speaking of fun... next I will post some shots of her oldest sister. A teenager at the park on a pretty day with no constraints of time = A LOT of pictures.
So, watch for those...

Seriously, I am trying to gain all the practice I can right now, so if you'd like to schedule a session, just let me know! It's FREE for a limited time!!!!

My Friends, the Lennard's

 

Saturday morning I had this photo shoot with the Lennard family... more guinea pigs for my budding photography career! :-) Seriously, with the overcast, gauzy light that morning, anyone with half a brain could've come up with great shots. They are wonderful people, dear, dear friends, and I think that made us all feel at ease. Sometimes that lense makes people just freeze up! I just finished editing 120 photos, so how could I narrow it down to one I liked best? These here are some of my favorites. The picture grid just crops things wierd, though, so it's not completely accurate. No, I don't cut heads off, I just shoot people.

PS. My dog is snoring loudly at my feet!

Bekah Boo

 

This is my sister's youngest. And she is a fun one...

As for the photo...
I know that's ice cream around her mouth, but could you, my faithful blogging friends, could you tell that right off?

The Twins

 

 

Meet Derek and Evan ... these are my sisters boys. 16 years old now and growing taller every day. They were here in August with the whole family (all 9) and I tried to get a good shot of each one of them. Our "photo shoot" took all of 20seconds each, so I was pretty excited to get something I thought was good enough to post and show to the whole blogging world out there. They have all since moved to Idaho, which is even more the reason why I needed a great pic to remember them by throughout the year.
More to come of that awesome Belschner family...

Lulu's Luvin' Life

 

Check out this pretty little snapshot I got of Mom right before she left to go back home. Can't you see how happy she is?!
Mom, you look more beautiful than ever! Thanks for coming up in the Belschner Bus to visit, to swim in my pool, to hike up and down those hills at Steal yer Dollar City... thanks for singing and praising the Lord with me and Sandy in church. It's a moment I'll never forget.

-and THANKS to so many of you for praying for her health. It has not been easy, and truthfully, liver transplants are no walk in the park. But what a testimony of grace and perserverence. Mom's faith has been quite an anchor to us all, even though there have been times when she thought she would never really get better again, she never stopped believing that God is in control. And now, He has answered our prayers in ways so far above and beyond what we could ask for or think. For this time, for this season, my mom is well. So I publically want to say thank you to all who have uttered a request to God for our strength and her healing. AND ABOVE ALL, I MUST GIVE PRAISE AND GLORY THE ONE WHO KNOWS THE NUMBER OF OUR DAYS HERE ON THIS EARTH, WHO NAMED EVERY STAR, AND LOVED ME SINCE BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF TIME. JUST TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILD IS WORTH EVERY MOUNTAINTOP AND EVERY VALLEY. YOU ALONE ARE WORTHY OF ALL MY PRAISE.

The Lincoln Memorial

 

Here's a shot from our recent trip to DC... I'll just post a few pics when I feel like it.

Awesome place, complete with a cute kid running around = potentially a nice photo :-)

The words on the wall are from Abe Lincoln's 2nd inaugural address, about 6 weeks before he was shot. Greg said the guy who spoke before Lincoln rambled on for 2 HOURS, and when he got up there he only spoke for like 9 minutes. Powerful words, delivered in a very efficient manner. Short and sweet, just like Lotz's wedding.

Meghan

 

So, I've been busy taking pictures, still working on DC images. Actually I haven't even been through them all yet. My sister's whole family and my Mom came for a visit. That's 10 people right there... I was on a high all weekend, though. And now Greg's family is here and the fun continues...

Seriously, if anyone wants me to take photos of their kids and family, let me know. I'm such an ameteur still, but I'd love to get more practice. I should be more available starting Aug 14, when the kids go back to school. Unless I get hired by some cool professional photographer who just needs me to help manage their thriving business. So we'll see...

The Roy's in D.C.

 

 

Sometimes I don't blog because I have nothing really to say, other times I don't blog because I have no idea where to begin. Oh, I'm there.

Our family took an awesome trip to Washinton D.C. for the 4th of July. Amazing trip. Unfortunately there's no way my slow connection speed will ever let me post very many of the shots, but I'll try to do a few. By the way, these baby feet were not in DC. It was a fun little photo shoot I got to do this week, and I really liked this pic.

More later... and if you want to know how to see everything in DC in 5 days, just ask.

7 Girls - 7 Reasons to Celebrate

 

1. Someone turned 40, and it wasn't me.

2. I am a sucker and bought into those timeshares.

3. You can drive on the beach and watch the Dodge truck pull the Jeep out of the sand.

4. Nail polish comes in an endless array of pink.

5. 8th Grade graduation.

6. You can always attend church at the "Drive-In Christian Church," where you literally drive in, plug into the speaker, and watch the church show on the stage.

7. Our husbands are cool enough to let us do this.

Yes, I am aware that there are only 5 people in this pic, obviously someone had to snap the camera, and the other will go unnamed...

Can you guess WHO the birthday girl was? (No fair if you've already talked to me.)

Can you guess WHERE we were??

Summer Expectations

A post with no pics, I can't hardly do it again. But just for now, I will.

What do you want to accomplish for the summer? Have fun and get a tan?? Well, if it wasn't for the melasma that comes with it, I'd already be on my way with that. Go ask a dermatologist if you don't know what melasma is... and no, it's not cancer.

I want to really get in shape, I mean really get there.

I want to spend every Friday with my husband and kids (and anyone who chooses to drop by) poolside in our own back yard, sipping lemonade and watching the dog bark at the robotic pool cleaner.

I want my house deal to close on the specified closing day and actually get paid the following business day...

I want to teach all 3 kids to play basketball.

I want to get through the summer without killing all the plants my husband just bought.

I want to read a book for fun and begin learning Spanish so I can go to another country and teach girls about purity next year.

I want to see every member of my family by the time school starts back and actually, I'm planning on it.

I want the summer to be endless, really. And I plan on, pray for, and can't wait to see what God has in store for us. I may want a lot of things, but what HE does and what HE is doing is so thankfully wonderful.

WORDS OF THE WEEK:

"Caddiwumpus" -

spoken by a weather reporter on the sight of a wind damaged apartment building (really, how would you spell that?)


"Knipplemeyer" -

a car dealership, pronounced "kuh-nipple-myer" ...thank you very much.

A Rainy Spring Morning

 

 

 

 

Forked Tongues and Tines

I was just about to stab my fork (with tines... get it?) into a delicious grilled hamburger steak patty when Mom and I hear the doorbell ring and this is what was was waiting for us...

My Aunt Terri holding this prize in the air, hoping to present it to Nathan.
Fortunately (or not so for the snake), my Uncle Jim had beheaded it in the barn...
Although I don't mind touching snakes, one thing is for sure, if you don't know what kind it is, "the only good snake is a dead snake."

Somehow I just couldn't eat my lunch after that.

The Most Amazing Lemon Chicken

Ok, so I'm down here in Oklahoma wondering how to best use this time with my Mom. We have a lot of down time, so movie night is every night, I plan on doing 2-a-day workouts, and I plan on COOKING something new each day. So, having been inspired by Hillengrands new "Recipe Box" and the huge outpouring of suggestions on a recent post by Hillenwife... here's my newest contribution to the food lovers out there.

For a very healthy menu:

The Most Amazing Lemon Chicken
Spinach Salad done anew
brown rice
fresh cut fruit - strawberries are perfect this month

THE MOST AMAZING LEMON CHICKEN:

4 Boneless, skinless, frozen chicken breast
1/3 Cup lemon juice
1/4 Cup EVOO (that's Olive oil, for you non-food-show people)
1 T Dijon mustard
garlic salt
pinch of dried parsley(fresh would be even better)
1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper

Remove ice glaze from chicken breast by running under warm water for about a minute. Place chicken in a single layer in shallow dish for baking. Combine lemon juice, oil, mustard, garlic salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk. (make 2 batches of this marinade, you'll see why below) Pour over chicken and bake uncovered for 40 minutes at 375*. This would also be wonderful to grill, just marinate the chicken in the sauce and reserve a little for basting... YUM!

SPINACH SALAD DONE ANEW:
Fresh washed spinach leaves
You can throw in some other greens that you may have on hand... whatever you like!
grape tomatoes, halved
1 fresh, ripe avacado, peeled and cut up
Frest toasted croutons (Thanks to Aunt Delorus for the homemade loaf of bread!!)

DRESSING, oh this dressing...
It's basically the SAME thing as the marinade for the chicken, but you gotta add something to sweeten it: 1 T sugar or honey or something. Next time I'll try STEVIA.

Add some Brown rice because you'll want all the juice from the chicken to smother it!
Fresh Strawberries in season.
Wow.
That was for yesterday's Sunday dinner. I gotta go figure something out for lunch now...

On the road again

Well, I'm headin to Oklahoma again for a week to take care of my mom. This trip should be quite uneventful and we want it that way. Mom is doing great, thanks to so many of you who have been praying for her. She is home and getting around the house OK. Her labs are looking good so far, but it's a process. She still needs 24 hr/day care for about 2 more months, so I'm looking for some books on tape to keep me occupied on that 5 hour drive down 44. If you read this, please stop for just 1 minute and pray for us. Safe travel, my mom's continued recovery, and my family while I'm away.
Whatever happened to the days when a family lived in one big house with all the cousins, grandparents, babies, and goats? That must have been before transplants...

35 MPG...

Who cares what 0-60 is when you get mileage like this?? Greg had to say goodby to his very cool OU truck. But we both must admit, zippin around in one of these is pretty sweet. Plus Lauren is thinkin/hoping that it will be hers to drive in 2 years. [2 YEARS!!!] Not a bad idea, huh?

With this new addition to the family, my sister says we must name it.
Any suggestions?

Emma is a Star!

Emma's 4th grade class at LogRog was on KSPR 33 Saturday night. The story is about how all this flooding caused us to go to school on Saturdays to make up lost school days. Her teacher has a lot of airtime - we just love Mrs. Melugin!! You can't miss Emma, in the video, either - she's got that hair...

I don't know how to post a video yet, so you'll just have to click this link:

http://www.kspr.com/news/local/18290469.html

Lulu Got a New Liver

Sunday morning, as I was getting ready for church, I thought to myself, "I should probably pack my toiletry bag and have it ready so when I get a call from Mom I can just grab my clothes and GO..." I did so, and 1 HOUR LATER she called. A donar liver was coming from Texas and she was walking into the hospital. My Mom was going to get her much needed liver transplant that very day. Praise God. This is her 2nd transplant and I can't tell you how quickly the time was running out on her old one.
I jumped in the car and headed to OK City after kissing my family goodbye for the week, they headed to church, and the whirlwind began.
Surgery started at 6:50pmSunday evening, and lasted until 3:00am. A long 8 hours. The surgeon was pleased with how well she did and said it was a "beautiful liver." Ahh, he says that about all his livers...
I sat with Mom in ICU for the next long day. At about 4:15, I headed to her house to rest a couple of hours and shower. At 4:30 she gave us quite a scare and I headed straight back to the hospital. The pain meds had relaxed her so much that her breathing slowed to almost nothing and they couldn't wake her at all. They reintibated her (installed a breathing tube again), and in a few minutes got her stablized. That was all on Monday, I think. Now it's Wed am and she's doing great. She sat up and ate breakfast and plans to move her to a regular room sometime today!!! We praise the Lord for his provision during this time. I have had plenty of rest now, family surrounding us, and the prayers of countless loved ones. We thank you all so much, and thank you for even taking the time to read this update.
My sister is on her way here, driving right now from Dallas to OK City due to all those grounded flights by American Airlines. With 3 little girls, all their carry-ons, and probably some jet lag to boot, she has a busy day ahead of her.
Hopefully soon I can post a pic of the "Fox Trio."
That's all for now...

Thank you so much to everyone (Mark) who participitated in the contest of trying to figure out what the picture contained. It was a picture that Nathan actually took of Lauren and I, and for some reason it turned out the way it did. Again, i appreciate you guys (Mark) who tried to figure it out.

Mers, Where Are You???

You used to clean our kitchen,
now you watch us from afar...
dust bunnies are growing,
o how we wonder where you are.
Surviving alone almost a year,
everyday life without our friend so dear.
It'd be nice to have a really clean home,
but truth be told, we can do it alone.
The kids can all vacuum, even Greg does his share,
tho folding the laundry is a 3 day affair.
It's your smile that we miss
and dinner at the table,
your little white car,
and your siblings coming over.
It's all this and more,
rhyming words just won't do,
So please get your blog back,
and we'll watch over you, too!

What or Who is in this picture?

 

Missouri Mudsledding

 

Shout It Out...
Oxi Clean...
Ancient Chinese Secret...

I had to pull out the big guns to try and wash up all the mess after this mudbath adventure. Us Missourians would know, mudsledding is a common sport in our Ozark winters. Springfield got "8 inches" so they say... I don't believe it. Maybe on the backporch of KY3, but not on the slopes of a certain church on the East end of Battlefield that happens to have a nice, short but steep slope. Too bad it ends in a fence post you have to dodge, and a gully full of mud.

For those who have asked...

 

Here are some pics of Caroline. Isn't she sweet?

Birthday Happenings

 

Nathan just had his 11th birthday! And get this - he decided several weeks ago that he wanted to go rock climbing at Petra with his friends. Sounds like fun, right? Well...

We head out to have some pizza for lunch and on the way I get this feeling I should call and confirm our party reservations at 2:00pm. So at 11:40am my call goes like this:

Me: "Hi this is Teri Roy and I'm just calling to make sure you have us down for a party there at 2:00 today...

Petra Dude: Uh, well hold on, let me get the schedule... long pause...
Is this Regina?

Me: No, ha ha, this is Teri Roy, and I have 9 boys coming for a party at 2. I gave you a deposit last week...

Petra Dude: Oh yeah, hey, yeeah I gotcha down. See, we had this party here last night from 11pm to 3(am) and the schedule just hasn't been switched over yet. Yeah we'll see ya later.

Me: (trying to sound like I know what I'm talking about) Great. OK, I also have my own boleer's , too (sorry I have no idea how to spell that), so we should be covered on the ground.

Petra Dude: Right, K , see ya later.

Me: Thanks, see ya this afternoon."

Now, what do you think I'm leading up to? We get there at 1:45, and the doors are locked. OK, we are a bit early, so we wait in the car. Pretty soon I have 9 active boys in my yukon, and the doors are still locked. Now it's 2:15 and we need a back up plan. Fast. Bowling it is. So, in spite of some disappointed kids who'd much rather climb a rock wall, we had fun throwing down the ball and only spent $19 because they gave us a break. A big shout out to Enterprise Lanes for bailing me out!! (Lighthouse was booked)

And by the way, Petra NEVER showed up.


Here's to NATHAN. Who learned the lesson of flexibility on his 11th birthday. Thanks for thinking this cake and the homemade cookie cake were the best ever. You are awesome!

Happy Birthday Jesus

 

This year we tried something a little different for our annual gather 'round the Christmas photo shoot.

Not pictured:

Lulu and Nana
Allen and Cheri, Camryn, Brooklynne, Connor, and Britton
Mrs. Thomas because she is actually WITH Jesus...

"Uh, Houston, we have a problem..."

 

...Emma's own words. On this day, that is.