Snow and is it a cow or horse?

Today was one of those nice unexpected snow days. I started to go to bed not even knowing it was becoming a winter wonderland outside until a friend posted about the fact that no one was saying anything about the snow. I went out side and got this shot hoping that it meant our first snow day.

The kids were so happy to wake up and not have to GET up. They stayed in bed, relaxed and watched tv in my bed.
 After breakfast the 3 youngest kids wanted to play in the snow. I had to help the baby get dressed. We took over 15 mins to find the right outfit, hat, shoes, gloves, and coat. After getting her all ready she goes outside to join the two other ones already in play. Kori ask me to get her another pair of socks b/c she was pretty sure she had lost some feeling in her toes. I am gone for about 1 min and come back to give the much needed socks and everyone is inside...including the baby. I ask her if she is all done and she is almost fully out of the outfit that we so carefully choose to keep her warm. I knew I was not a snow person but I am guessing they arent either. It should snow again on Saturday so we will see if round 2 is better.



 Around lunch time we headed out early to the grandparents house to drop off my oldest son b/c it was his weekend to visit. Which to them it means their weekend to get a free toy from the store.
On the way home we pass by some horses and my 6 yr old says "Mom look, there is a cow.....or a horse...? I ask "Which was it?" He responds with an "I dont know."  Sadly this is not the first time this has happened. About 2 yrs ago he stated the same question. I blame it on the fact that he has lived 5 of his 6 yrs in a suburb of downtown Nashville. I grew up all around cows and horse but he sees cars, bikes, and helicopters flying over to the Vanderbilt hospital. We read books but it seems to me so natural to know what certain animals are that I forget that there are some things that do need to be gone over to get. And for us that seems to be what is the difference between a cow and a horse. I guess we will work on that asap.

A poem about being taken.

Taken-


Online chatting was not enough - I wanted to meet him face to face.
He said come alone and tell no one - I know the perfect place.
Joy was erased as the knowing set in
I was being taken without permission and my family I might never see again
Gagged and put in hidden with others my age
All with fear in our eyes mixed with shame and rage
Without being told I knew what the plan had to be

I have heard the stories, I even did the city walk but never thought this could be me.
My innocence was stolen and lessons beyond my age where replaced
As time went on the hope of going home was slowly being erased
We are always on the move so the leaders won't get caught
People on the outside think they know the truth but a war is barely being fought.
This is bigger than all of us, the evil is so deep it seems to win.
But there are lessons from my childhood that tell me how to defeat sin.
You say you want to help, you want to free us from being a slave
There is only one way that undeniably will work and that is to pray.
Pray for their hearts and for me and my friends
Pray for freedom for both and the child trafficking to end.
When we work together as one praying for the same thing
The Truth will set us free as Jesus Christ again will reign

-by Charlene turney 2012

pictures taken by me - charlene turney at Twin-Imaging Photography. My daughter was the model for the pictures.

The Real Lion King

In the African plain I was born and raised.

I was Mufasa's first born son, so learning to be king was how I spent my day's.

Nala is my BFF and Zazu is my watch bird. There is my uncle with the evil plan who tries to
steal my dad's loyal herd.

I was told it is my fault that my dad went away. Uncle Scar told me to leave, get out, you cannot stay!

So I go and meet some new friends and years go by. Than Nala shows up and she did not come to say hi.

After a fight- where she wins- we go back to Pride Rock. I am now taking over- " Uncle Scar this has got to stop!"

A battle breaks out , it is the hyenas verses the big cats. When it is over my place on the throne I have back.

 charlene turney feb2 2011.(poem for a project for kori's class last year.

It has been hiding and it is time...

  It is hiding and has been for almost a mth now. My camera. It has been packed away in my camera backpack, untouched for right at one full month. The holidays are done, family is gone, and Christmas cards are sent off. My birthday is the middle of Jan but it did not even come out for that. It is kind of sad to think about all the missed opportunities, all the missed pictures. The problem is..I have a phone. The quality compared to my camera is terrible but the convenience is not comparable. With my phone I just snap and up-load for all to see. With my canon I snap, upload, edit if needed, than up-load again for all to see. So it was time. Time to pull it out, make sure everything is charged and get to work. I dont have a photo shoot but I have 5 children and there is always something to photograph with them. Here's to catching up on some, could be, missed opportunities and enjoying the tiny things that happen around us.

My two youngest ones playing with an old polly pocket set.

one of the rare times that they are playing...nicely.

 

Catch up. Christmas time

For the Christmas season this year I offered a mini session. It was lots of fun and kept me pretty busy for the mth. Here are a few pictures from some of the awesome families. 

 

Thank you families for letting my capture you and your loved ones in pictures for the holidays.

With Thanksgiving here and gone I have been super busy...just like every other American I know. We had lots of food and we still have lots of food. It's only a few days past the turkey but my kids are sick of it. Along with all the food prep I had a few photo shoots. I am a bit behind because I had some problems with my light room and if you have used it than you know what a pain it is to try and edit pictures without it. Not worth it. Here a few of the daughter's pictures I took a week or so ago. She had many different faces she could make. She was so stinking cute. Look at these faces!!

Photobooth - International Thanksgiving dinner.

 
 My husband had the wonderful opportunity to put together an International Thanksgiving dinner. We held it on the Vanderbilt campus and with the help of the Every Nation Campus Leaders we were able to pass out flyers to International's around campus. We had around 120 people come and Dr. Ming Wang spoke. He is a genius!!Here are a few pictures from last night.

 

This is just one side of the room. The other side was just as full.

Miss Ava was my prop tester the night before and she did awesome.

 The painter..

Her senior portrait

Jerry with the leaders and a pastor from our church.