9 months old!

Technically she is almost 10 months old.  I am a little late with this months pictures.  I'll blame it on technology :)

Here are some milestones that have happened in the last 4 weeks or so:

1. She can now say these words fluently: Mama, Dada, & Hi.
2. She is now standing on her own and showing interest in lifting her leg to take a step. 
3. Feeds herself table food.
4. Sleeps completely through the night successfully... praise the LORD!
5. Can wave.
6. Can clap.
7. GIVE LOTS AND LOTS OF KISSES!!

Here are a few of her 9 month old pictures.  The pink toto has reappeared for more pictures.  I didn't have any better ideas for this month.  I'll get more creative next month - promise!

 

I love Pinterest.com

After what I thought was my computer crashing... I am now back up and running!  Something wiggled loose when I was installing a new cd burner into my computer and therefore I was sweating thinking that I was going to have to make a computer investment soon.  Luckily, I don't have to!  YEAH!

Soo.. I'm back!  Lots of catching up to do.  First, here are some things that are now on my list of to-do's this month.. or rather, next month :)

I need to get started on my fall blanket! {Pinterest.com}



These are photo frames from Organic Bloom.  I LOVE THEM! {Pinterest.com}



And again. Love. {Pinterest.com}

Bookshelf made out of old apple crates! 
Now, where am I going to find apple crates??
{Pinterest.com}

Growin up!

It's crazy to me how Selah is starting to look more and more like a toddler and not such a baby anymore.  She says, "Hi" and waves like a maniac... she has even started clapping at anything that makes her happy... which is almost everything that happens.  She is extremely happy and sweet, cries easily, and LOVES  her Daddy.  She loves Andrew so much that any time he walks in a room she almost has a nervous breakdown until he picks her up!  She is definitely going to be a Daddy's girl.  It has already begun...

This past week she has started standing up periodically on her own.  Once she realizes that her tiny tiny feet are holding her up.. down she goes.. crashing her diaper into the tile. 

Ginger has been receiving the brunt of her excitement these days.  She drags Ginger by her tail, chases her around and lays on her, and takes her ears pulling her in for a kiss.  All while squealing at the top of her lungs.  She squeals so much that, while on the phone with my Mom, we end up losing track of what we are talking about because we are so mesmerized by the constant squeal of excitement coming from that little body.  She is happy and I can only hope that all of my children are that happy.  Look for her 9 month old pictures coming soon!!

Here are some pictures to bless your heart this Thursday morning:

Those chunky legs just melt my heart!



She's tries to act tough... Is it working? ;)

Spiced Pumpkin Tea

Try this... you will be glad you did :)

Spiced Pumpkin Tea

• 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree
• 2 cups of strong prepared black tea - or chai tea - hot
• 1 cup of milk, half and half or cream - hot
• 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon powder
• 1/4 tsp. of ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. of ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
• Sugar to taste ~ I use about a 1/3 to 1/2 cup
• Whipping cream - optional
• Cinnamon powder for sprinkling - optional

The monster called "Insecurity"

Insecurity.  The one thing that can destroy someone's self-esteem, relationships, and can act as a thorn in the side of anything good.

What does it mean to be insecure?

Definition (via Internet source) - Insecurity is a feeling of general unease or nervousness that may be triggered by perceiving of oneself to be vulnerable in some way.

A person who is insecure lacks confidence in their own value, and one or more of their capabilities, lacks trust in themselves or others, or has fears that a present positive state is temporary, and will let them down and cause them loss or distress by "going wrong" in the future. This is a common trait, which only differs in degree between people.

This is not to be confused with humility, which involves recognizing one's shortcomings but still maintaining a healthy dose of self-confidence. Insecurity is not an objective evaluation of one's ability but an emotional interpretation, as two people with the same capabilities may have entirely different levels of insecurity.

Insecurity may help to cause shyness, paranoia and social withdrawal, or alternatively it may encourage compensatory behaviors such as arrogance, aggression, or bullying, in some cases.

Here recently, God has been teaching me a whole lot about insecurity.  Some insecurities that I have and when to notice someone else's insecurities.  Do you sometimes wonder why someone is acting shy around you, or just the opposite... arrogant or like a bully toward you?  Instead of being so personally offended with how someone treats me, God has really had me look deeper into the heart of the matter.  Are they acting out of insecurity?  If so, I am then able to act with wisdom in the situation.  Taking on a different mindset in how to handle the situation.  And not react to their reaction.

People that are confident in themselves, along with their talents and abilities are usually the first ones to notice some acting out of insecurity toward them.  I always thought that women were the worst at this behavior - but in the past few years, my eyes have been dramatically opened to Men and their insecurities. 

Men and Women both struggle with insecurity, but in very different ways. 

In my experience...  Women are often more concerned with how someone views them or is emotionally treating them.  They usually feel threatened by younger, attractive, talented, and confident young women.  They become insecure around women that they subconsicously feel are "better" in some way then them.  Then with that insecurity, some then look at those women that make them feel insecure and lash out.  Reminding themselves that they are better and then arrogantly act on those thoughts. 
For Men, it is all about their ability to provide.  A man drives up in a big truck, pulling his brand new boat, model wife in the passenger seat and brilliant children in the back seat.  "He must do something amazing!"... "Does my wife think I am a loser because I can't provide all of that?"  ... Feeling like a failure, their mind lingers on their insecurities as they size themselves next to Mr. & Mrs. Jones.

Last week, I had Dr. Phil on as background noise as I straightened up my house one afternoon.  This particular day they were talking about and to gold diggers.  These women that go after rich men to get what they want.  They would rather sacrifice love and relationship by settling for a big diamond ring.  That screams insecurity to me. 

Or the girl who is so insecure with herself that she will have sex before marriage just to please that one guy or seem cool & mature in the eyes of her girlfriends.  The feeling of security that she is looking for... will not linger long.  It will be gone in the blink of an eye and she will be left feeling even more worthless than she did before she acted on her insecurity. 

Relationships can suffer tremendously when insecurity is present.  Control, jealousy, and emotional/verbal/physical abuse can be traced back to even a small hint of insecurity.  When looking for someone to date and ultimately marry, there is one VERY important thing you should look for:  Are they insecure and do they act on their insecurities in a negative way? 

Ladies & Gentlemen - You CAN be secure in only one thing in life.  God.  He made you exactly how he wanted you.  And he does intend for you to praise him for creating you in the way you were created.  The physical flaws that you think are glaringly obvious and awful are enhancements in his magnificent creation.  Now, look at yourself in the mirror.  Did you just roll your eyes at what you just read?  If so, you.. my friend.. are acting on your insecurities.  Why not accept yourself for who you are?  Striving to improve yourself as a person in the eyes of God and in the eyes of man are two very different things.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139:14

 
I pray that God will reveal the monster inside me called insecurity and help to notice when I am acting on it.  Are you ready to done with it as well?

Things I love this week :)

Here are some things I love love love this week!  I am in a fall kind-a mood.  It is so miserably hot outside.  I am ready for some cooler weather so that Selah Grace and I can spend as much time outdoors as possible!  I am DYING to do lots of photography during Autumn! Bring on the pumpkin spice lattes and sweaters!

I am planning on squeezing in some time in between the craziness that is this week and take Selah Grace's 9 month pictures!  I cannot believe how fast time goes by when you are enjoying yourself.  I love my life and all the things that fill it!  I am constantly keeping my hands busy with new art projects.  My newest obsession is Selah's first birthday party.  I posted earlier in the summer about it.  I am so excited to celebrate her first year of life on this earth.  I thought she would never get here and now she is almost walking and is saying "Hi" to anything and everything she can get her hands on.

Sooo... here are some things I have stumbled upon this past week.  If only there were 40 hours in one day.  Think of how much we could all get done!!  Autumn is just around the corner... can you tell I am anxious about summer being over with!?

Fall Perfection! Pintrest.com

Great idea for photography! Pintrest.com



I think I may attempt in making this for Selah Grace's Birthday :) Pintrest.com

 

I need this!  Pintrest.com



I am in love with this idea! Pintrest.com



Very inventive! Pintrest.com

 

Christmas lights poked through canvas... genius! Pintrest.com

Ethan - TAKEN BY TERRA

Click HERE  to see this very cute 7 week old!

His Love.

Good afternoon.  I have sat down to write this blog post for about two weeks now and can't seem to spit out the words.  I am dealing with a bit of sensory overload.  There are two many things pulling at me and trying to grab my attention that I can't seem to focus.  I've found that I have left my car keys hanging from the lock outside of the front door on numerous occasions.  Can you say, brain dead.  I guess once I get in the door, I am off to the next thing.  I need to slooooow doooooown.

I have been really busy with my photography business (Taken By Terra)!! And I am loving every minute.  If you would have told me that I would actually have people calling, emailing, facebooking, and texting me about doing a session this time last year... I would have laughed... hard.

My life has changed so much in the past year.  My sweet little chunk of love, Selah Grace, has blessed my world.  My life was pretty great with just Andrew, Ginger, and I.. she just added the sparkle. 

I often look back at my blog posts from a year ago when I am needing to be reminded of God's blessings in my life.  I stumbled upon this little beauty.. My blog post titled.. "Stretch"

Cracked me up.  Seriously, I am sitting at my computer just laughing at my words.  I am still dealing with these nasty dead gum stretch marks.  I have super fair skin..  lucky me!  Oh, the things that worry us in this world.  Even though that post was written out of completely and total sarcasm, most women on this planet will go to any length to get rid off old scars, wounds, and blemishes.  Why do scars bother us so much?  My scars help me to remember.  I have one scar below my right elbow from falling down the stairs when I was big and pregnant.  It wasn't funny then but it is really funny now.  If you could have seen me laughing hysterically while crying at the same time (I am not sure how it is possible) when I hit the bottom of those stairs, you would have laughed too. 

Scars shows the place where there was once a wound.  It took my arm a long time to heal and was super sore for months as it tried its hardest to forget that my tumble ever happened. 

God has really been dealing with some things in me lately.  My scars.  My wounds.  Some, I didn't even know I had.  He is teaching me his love.  His. Love.  Those two words have taken several months to hammer out in this thick skull of mine.  I asked God to evaluate my heart and mind and begin a new work in me.  Wow.  When you ask, you shall receive a spring cleaning that you will never forget.  Spiders the size of Guatemala were found in my dark & crusty corners.  Loving people that are nasty to you is so hard.  Forgiving people that have hurt you is so hard.  Loving people that do not deserve love is so hard.  For me anyway.

How can I love God if I do not unconditionally love his people?  Even the people that hurt me.  Loving people is not worldly - it is Godly.  How can I teach my daughter love and forgiveness if I don't practice what I preach?  I refuse to give her any excuse for not living a Godly life.  I will live to be her example.  And I know that I will fail... but she will (hopefully) see me humbly admit when I do and crawl back to God.

God has done a work in me the past couple of weeks and I feel refreshed.  I have forgiven and loved like I have never done before.  Only by the divine power of God was it possible.  Now, I am naturally a very kind person.  I love easily.  I'm a hugger and always smiling.  BUT there is a difference in loving someone like Jesus would love someone.  I'm still a work in progress but I get very excited at my baby steps.  And I know for a fact that God smiles at it too.  Are you making baby steps in conquering your struggles??  If not, get on it!  Life is too short to be an open walking wound.  It's not attractive.  Go and dunk yourself in some hydrogen peroxide!  

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

John 3:16

Tiffany & Jared are getting married - TAKEN BY TERRA

Click HERE to see the sneak peek of my latest photography session.  Enjoy!

The Raney Family - TAKEN BY TERRA

Click HERE to see my latest photography session with The Raney Family!

July 4th Weekend!

This fourth of July weekend we rented a cabin in the smoky mountains. My brother, Travis, came down from Ohio to join us for our little vacation.  He is in the military and therefore we were able to use his discount for everything in Gatlinburg we wanted to do.  We are now taking him on every vacation!! HA!  The cabin we stayed at was fan-tastic!  Pool table, hot tub, jacuzzi bath tub, king size beds, fireplace, and very secluded.  Awesome.  Just what we needed!  Saturday, we spent the day playing in downtown Gatlinburg.  We arrived Friday evening and left Sunday afternoon.  Really quick trip, but it was full of fun!  Here are some of the pictures from our adventures in the Smoky Mountains.

This is our cabin.  We played, ate smores, and lounged by the fire :)

There was a whole lot of losin going on...

she's so cute!

yummo!

Saturday afternoon we went to several different attractions.  First stop, Ripley's Believe It Or NOT!  It is the huge and full of crazy things!

Someone had a whole lot of time on their hands..

Andrew and Travis - their shadows

 Next stop, The Gatlinburg Moonshine Distillery.


They now sell legal moonshine in Gatlinburg. 

 

passed out...

my back was killing me...

Next stop, The Smoky Mountain Aquarium!

Creepy..

The Shark Tunnel!

Jellies

Huge stingrays!

African Penguins

Penguins!

Sharkman

Last stop, Cades Cove!

Church from the 1800's

Andrew and Travis - cheesing it up

please, don't be blinded by my VERY white legs

lots of wildflowers

& pine cones

cutie

she was sleepy

time to hit the road jack!