Reflections of Marla

I'm an Auntie!

2009-12-08T20:52:00.002-06:00

I'm back for i heart faces this week. The week's theme is "Sweet Dreams" and I have the perfect picture.

My sister gave birth to a 5 lb, 11 oz baby boy yesterday. She named him Samuel Witten, after two of his great grandpas. He is having a few problems breathing and is currently having tests ran on him. Please pray for this little angel.

Head over and check out the other submissions.

Baby Bums...

2009-11-29T19:14:00.003-06:00

I have had a super busy couple of months, but this semester is ALMOST over. I'm so excited. Please excuse me blog friends for avoiding blogger like the plague. I really do love you. :)

Anyway, last weekend I went and took one of my best friend's family pictures. Her little nephew is absolutely the cutest thing ever. Here's a shot of him for this week's I heart faces competition:

Head on over to I heart faces to see more amazing entries. This is such a cute theme.

Why yes, I am the worst blogger in the world...

2009-10-23T17:25:00.002-05:00

But I'm also a very busy college student. A very busy, overwhelmed college student who's having problems getting the basics done everyday.

Seriously. My classes are horrible. I have some of the worst teachers this semester and the subjects are boring.

I think I've hit some kind of junior-year wall. Things just suck right now.

Of course, this time of the semester is always hard.

I haven't even been able to pick up my camera in two weeks. I spend all my time writing lame papers or reading lame articles/books. I feel like my creativity has totally dried up.

I just found out that I have to write two five page papers this week. Yeah, seriously just found out. My crappy teacher sent out an e-mail that said, "I expect you to write two five page papers this weekend... Oh yeah, they are worth 1/3 of your semester grade." Never before have I had teachers that were this disorganized and scatterbrained. I mean, shouldn't that have been on the syllabus?!?

I also have to write two six page court reports, three 5 page book reports, and finish a 20+ term paper. Oh yeah, that term paper... IS DUE ON MY BIRTHDAY! How rough is that?

I will be turning 21 next week though. Exciting. I have no big plans, because I obviously have time for nothing but homework... Plus, Colby will be cutting corn.

Gosh. I feel like a total whiner. Anyway, I'm in a terrible slump.

A Gift For You

2009-10-03T11:22:00.002-05:00

Hello all. I have a little gift for you this fine Saturday afternoon. Last weekend I took these pictures:

I'm really not sure which one is my favorite.

I can't be too chatty; I've got to start writing on a 15-20 page term paper that's due on MY BIRTHDAY, which is only 26 days away. So far, I've gotten three sentences and a huge pile of research. Yikes. At least it's a start.

What are your plans for the weekend?

I Heart Faces- Blue

2009-09-28T12:54:00.002-05:00

This picture is one of my favorites from the entire summer, but I wasn't sure that it follows the rules, since it is silhouette. I thought long and hard about it, but finally decided to post it, because you can make out the outline of his face. I hope that is enough for it to qualify for judging.

And it does fit the blue category.

I took this picture one beautiful July night. Colby and I were going around to check on sprinklers, and he was worried that this one was broken. Luckily, it wasn't and we got to ride off into the sunset together.

It's nights like this one that make me feel blessed to live in the country.

Anyway, head over i heart faces for more great entries!

My Sister

2009-09-28T11:19:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, I took my sister Ashley's senior pictures... They turned out AWESOME in my opinion, so I thought I would show a few of them here.

And believe me, this is only a FEW. I took over six hundred pictures. It was super hard to narrow them down to the absolute best ones.

This last one is my absolute favorite. It's just so light and free and dreamie.

Which one is you favorite?

True Talent

2009-09-25T14:53:00.003-05:00

Way back in high school, I used to sing the National Anthem from time to time before basketball games. Believe me, I sounded nothing like this:

These are little girls between the ages of eight and thirteen and they can sing!

Of course, they've got nothing on Beyonce. (Just kidding.)

Oh My.

2009-09-23T11:15:00.002-05:00

Isn't this just hillarious?!? My screenshot sucks, but I really tried to get it all on the page. I'm not sure what went wrong.

But you can make your own page all Kayne-d out here. Believe me, it's the cool thing to do. It happened to Taylor so it should happen to you too.

Now, I've been a horrible blogger lately. My posting has been pretty much nonexistent. But I do have two very good reasons for this:

1.) I've had a horrible case of writer's block. I really haven't had much to say at all.

2.) I've had no time to pound anything out. If it won't flow fast and easy, then I haven't bothered. School is stressing me out and I think I may have entered my busiest semester yet.

I only have classes on Tuesday, Wednesday night, and Thursday. That means that I have fabulous weekends but super busy weeks. I've been going home every single weekend and I have yet mastered the skill of doing homework while riding on the tractor or while taking Jamey to the park. Hopefully, I'll get that figured out real soon.

I'm taking Spanish this semester and I'm not exactly good at foreign languages. We have tests every two weeks and a MASSIVE! amount of homework due in between. Needless to say, it's killing me. I actually have a Spanish test tomorrow and I need to learn about a million things before then.

Believe me, I could go on and on complaining about my schedule, but I know that I'll get the hang of it eventually. Hopefully, I learn how to spend some of my "weekend" working on homework and get back into the flow of classes. I love summer, but sometimes it's really hard to back into school mode.

I actually feel way less stressed after writing this out. Maybe I should make my blog a priority again?

It's That Time of Year Again

2009-09-12T22:25:00.000-05:00

Goodbye, summer.

I'll miss you.

No more mowing, sunburns, cookouts, or days on the boat.

Instead, I'm focused on term papers, long books, and memorizing Spanish vocab.

Hopefully, I'll make it to next summer. Hopefully.

Always Remember

2009-09-11T14:57:00.001-05:00

8 Years

2009-09-11T11:19:00.003-05:00

I was in my seventh grade art class when I first heard about the September 11 attacks. Our teacher quickly ushered us into the library where we stood in silence as a plane flew into the second tower. I cried, realizing for the first time that it wasn't an accident.

I watched in disbelief as the towers fell- dumbfounded and confused. I honestly didn't think it was real. I was 1717 miles from the World Trade Centers, I'd never visited New York, and knew no one involved, yet I suddenly felt like I'd lost thousands of friends.

I think it was a turning point of my youth. I suddenly realized that the world can be a mean place and not everyone loves Americans. My innocence was shattered on that day.

My heart still aches for the families that lost loved ones on that day. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering they go through every single day. We will never forget you.

At the same time, I want to recognize the brave heroes that fight oversees so we don't have to. I thank God for the firemen and policemen who risk their lives every single day to help others. Individuals such as these make our country the amazing place it is.

God Bless America.

Cricket, Cricket!

2009-09-05T10:07:00.003-05:00

Colby and I have now a sweet, little baby. Isn't she just the cutest?

She's currently both scratching and biting my foot. Adorable, that's what I keep telling myself. We call her Cricket because she's a tiny gray kitten. She's actually over four months old, but was a born the runt of her little and is pretty much a midget.

Neither one of us is a cat person, but my mom suckered us into taking her. I really want a puppy, but I'll only be here four days a week.

She's adorable and playful, but MY GOODNESS that litter box is so disgusting. Yuck.

But Colby likes her. He would never admit it, but he actually slept with her the other day when I was at school. That boy is a sucker.

Friendly Faces

2009-08-30T15:51:00.002-05:00

On Friday night, I took dinner out to Colby and his brother. They were hard at work, drilling wheat all day long. Sometimes I feel sorry for them and take them out a box of pizza.

That, my friends, is the secret to any man's heart. Believe me.

Anyway, across the road where these friendly faces. I think they either wanted some pizza or become friends. I'm not quite sure yet.

The babies are just the cutest. They all just came over and stood at the fence so that I could take pictures of them.

Sweetie-pies.

Hopefully, they weren't just staring at me because I look funny, but you never really know.

I would hate for the cows to start judging me.

Doesn't this cow just scream Mrs. Personality? She could be a lonely housewife anywhere in the U.S., struggling to keep up with her laundry and cleaning. All she really wants is someone to pay attention to her.

Or a piece of pepperoni pizza. Whatever.

Jaycee Dugard

2009-08-29T05:45:00.002-05:00

I cannot imagine being abducted and held for eighteen years in a backyard. I cannot imagine being repeatedly raped and giving birth to my first child at 13. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering that Jaycee Dugard went through.

I cannot imagine how patrol officers could have overlooked the fact that Jaycee and her two children were locked in that ramshackle backyard.

I cannot imagine the pain her mother felt for eighteen years while her little girl was missing. I cannot imagine how her step-father dealt with being blamed for her disappearance.

I cannot imagine how a man could be so evil and commit such act. I cannot imagine how a wife could stand by and watch such horrendous child abuse.

I cannot imagine how Jaycee and her children will be able to reenter society. I cannot imagine how the outside world must look to their eyes.

I cannot imagine her mother's absolute joy at realizing she would be reunited with her child.

I just cannot imagine...

Child of the Corn

2009-08-28T10:06:00.002-05:00

My baby sister is a bit crazy. Heck, she's loopy, wild, and very enthusiastic about life.

Honestly, she can be quite a handful. But I love her so dang much.

A couple of weeks ago, she started 2nd grade. To my parent's dismay, she came home with a note from the teacher last night that said- "Jamey has been creating room noise- nothing too bad particularly, but I would appreciate if you talked to her about it."

Personally, I laughed. What does that even mean? (This is just one of the reasons why I'm not quite ready for kids.)

She was lectured repeatedly by my parents, of course.

I'm glad she has a vivid personality myself. She is smart as whip and does good on her homework. Sometimes she can just be a little excitable.

I mean, one little trip to a corn field and she's asking me if "we can build a house in the middle of a big corn filed and live there forever." How silly is that? She's already has it all imagined out and knows it would be a total blast.

Of course, I now know that I'll never need to take her to another movie again. She has SO much more fun just running around in corn fields.

My First Day

2009-08-26T12:50:00.005-05:00

Transferring had me really nervous. Seriously.

I woke up at 5 AM yesterday to drive 136 miles to my new campus in time for my first class at 9 and I didn't get back home until 10:30 last night... It was a very long, exhausting day.

(I would like to point out that I'm not planning on driving everyday. I'm just doing it now to say money. I was going to have to pay $400 for August rent and only live there a week, so I decided to wait until September 1 to move in.)

Amazingly, I found all my new classes easily and was helped by some very friendly people. I felt very at home there, surrounded by rowdy Texans. At my new school, it's actually normal to wear cowboy boots around. How cool is that? Plus, I heard people talk about "working on the farm" and "mares." I absolutely feel at home. These are my people.

I had been planning on having an easy semester, but apparently I forgot about that idea while making my schedule. I'm in 17 hours of hard classes- Spanish, Speech, The Judicial Process, International Law, and History of the U.S., 1914-1945. The history class does it for me, but I'm not really feeling the other ones so far.

Purchasing my books has been dreadful as always. One day I'm going to start a rebellion against campus books stores. Seriously, $800 in books is ridiculous. I feel like the life is getting sucked out of me every time I try to buy books. Too. Dang. Expensive.

Overall, I'm excited to be back in class and expanding my brain. I think it was starting to get rusty. I'll have more to report later. I've got to leave to make the drive again in a couple of hours.

I hope you all have a great day.

P.S.- I found it weird that this post had no picture, so I decided to post one of Jamey from her first day of school:

Doesn't she look totally excited?

100th!

2009-08-24T11:15:00.001-05:00

This is my 100th post! How crazy is that?!?

I'm pretty much amazed myself.

In celebration, I decided to post a few (or maybe ten) facts about myself. Get ready to be blown away (or fall asleep).

1.) I start school tomorrow. I'm transferring and really looking forward to it.

2.) I'm a political science major. That means I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do after I graduate, but I do know that I'm studying what makes me happy.

3.) I'm in love with a farmer- totally in love. We've been dating 8 1/2 months. It's bliss.

4.) This is what I looked like last weekend:

5.) Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift are my two favorite country singers, but I'll always have a thing for George Straight.

6.) I know how to ride a horse, but I'm not really into it. My family has had horses as long as I can remember though.

7.) I'm not a morning person. Nope. I'm not always a night person either.

8.) I'm addicted to farm town on facebook, but I realize that it is nothing like real life farming. It's way cheaper and easier. They don't have hail storms or droughts on farm town.

9.) I love Mexican food and can make some delicious enchiladas.

10.) I'm a big fan of little kids and babies, but am in no hurry to have my own.

11.) I thought about coming up with 100 things, but I seriously couldn't think of anymore.

Have a Happy Monday and come back soon!

Nostalgia (I Heart Faces)

2009-08-24T09:11:00.002-05:00

This week at I heart faces the theme is nostalgia.

Being the country girl that I am, this picture really makes me think about the past and those who came before me.

Since I'm from an agriculture family and in love with a farmer, I often get to see scenes like this. This is my boyfriends 75 year-old Grandfather during wheat harvest this summer. Farming around here is very much a family ordeal and everyone helps out. He still works with the rest of the family, wearing his old overalls and a John Dear cap.

Be sure to head over to I heart faces to see more awesome pictures. You won't regret it.

Peace

2009-08-21T11:11:00.000-05:00

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you."
- John 14:27

The Vacation Continues

2009-08-20T07:58:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know I returned home from vacation almost a month ago, but I seriously had a great time and can't wait to go back.

That's not going to happen for a while, so I decided that it was time to post the rest of my pictures from the trip.

Plus, it's not like things have been very exciting around here. I've just been hanging out and getting ready for school.

Isn't this the coolest building you've ever seen? It's just so dang interesting.

Have a great day.

Look! No Training Wheels!

2009-08-19T10:35:00.000-05:00

Jamey gets her sense of grace from me, which means she has none. She's a clumsy little kid, exactly how I was at her age.

Wait, I'm still clumsy, but that's not the point.

She recently decided to ride her bike without training wheels. Since she is seven, we all encouraged her.

At first, Jamey insisted that she needed safety gear, "Dad, I need knee pads and a helmet."

My dad, being the old-school country man that he is, was not that worried about safety: "No, you don't. That's what's wrong with kids these days. A little scrape won't hurt you."

Remember, Jamey is my father's sixth child. It's safe to say that he is a very relaxed parent.

My dad set about teaching Jamey to ride her bike. He helped her to get her balance and pushed her off. She was soon doing amazing, only have a few problems turning.

Of course, as soon as we thought she had it mastered, Jamey crashed and burned. One scraped elbow and a deep cut on the knee resulted in an evening trip to the emergency room.

I should have taken my camera inside to document the experience, but lets be honest- who wants to see an eighty-year old doctor give a screaming child several stitches? Not me. I would actually like to forget that part of the evening.

Yes, we will be buying safety equipment soon- one really gnarly scare is enough for my dad.

Nature

2009-08-17T15:56:00.000-05:00

Getting into photography and this blog has open my eyes to the beauty that surrounds me.

I am constantly on the look out for good pictures and pretty views. Everyday beauty is suddenly all around me. It's awesome.

"Look deep, deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."
-Albert Einstein

"To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug."
- Helen Keller

"Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own;
and from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave, it is but a succession of changes so gentle and easy that we can scarcely mark their progress."
- Charles Dickens

"I've always regarded nature as the clothing of God."
Alan Havhamess

Take time to enjoy the beauty around you; I guarantee you'll appreciate it.

Seven

2009-08-13T06:26:00.000-05:00

In celebration of my baby sister's seventh birthday, we had a little photo shoot. This was before her party and she was dressed to impress in her new school clothes.

Her party was something else, but that's a totally another story. Let's just say that we all had a blast.

Jamey was a bit uncooperative. I don't know if it's her age (I mean, she is seven now and all grown up) or if she really couldn't get her face to form a realistic smile, but we had serious problems getting some decent pictures.

Luckily, this was before her birthday and I got to pull the you haven't gotten your presents yet and you better behave card. It worked somewhat.

I really just can't believe that she's seven already.

I love the little squirt so much.

Happy Birthday, Jamey

2009-08-12T06:47:00.001-05:00

Dear J-Bird,

I can't believe that you're actually seven today. I remember you birth so vividly. I was thirteen and very annoyed that I was left at Grandpa's and Grandma's for three days while Mom was in labor. I remember playing Monopoly with Clay and discussing what could possibly be taking you so long to arrive. We were all so excited for you to be born.

Grammy and Aunt Martha took Clay, Shay, Ashley, Clint and me to visit you a few hours after you were finally delivered. I remember we started loving all over you, giving you kisses and admiring your tiny little feet. That's when Dad informed us that you hadn't yet had a bath so we were essentially kissing a baby who had been soaking in her own pee for nine months. Yucky.

Did you know that we used to fight over who got to hold you? It truly happened. Even Clay and Clint would get in arguments over who's turn it was to hold little Jamey. I know we might not act like it, but your siblings all adore you.

I remember the day you took your first steps. It was early June and Mom, Shay, Ashley, and I were all playing on the floor with you. We were encouraging you to stand and you eventually got your balance. Before long, you took one clumsy little step. Your sisters (myself included) all screeched in surprise. Of course, your eyes then got big and you fell flat on your little butt. Soon after, everything changed as you began to terrorize our house with your ability to move.

You were always a sassy little squirt. Not long after you started walking, you began to start calling people by their names. You knew everyone's names- expect for mine. You would call me "Shay" when I was in the room and then "Marla" when I was gone. It was obvious that you were purposely taunting me. One day, you became obsessed with Finding Nemo and started to call me "Dory." It stuck and now most of our immediate family calls me "Dory" too.

Time passed quickly and before I knew it you were all grown up and starting school. I'm so excited that I don't have to leave for school in a few days. I'm only going to be two hours away and I'll probably be home every single weekend. Don't worry; you can come visit me anytime and swim in my pool.

Jamey, you are such a sweet little girl. I'm blessed to have you in my life. Know that your big sister will always be here to help you out if you ever need anything.

I love you,

Dory

Summer Sunset

2009-08-10T06:35:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite times to take pictures is right at sunset. It can be a bit tricky because of the rapidly changing light, but the effects are always awesome.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of driving around the farm with Colby at sunset. It was the perfect time to take several breathtaking pictures.

It's times like these when I forget to worry about the little things.

I don't worry about having a ton of things to do before school starts. I forget all about the fact that I'm low on funds to pay for school...

Instead, I marvel in the fact that it's summer and I'm having a wonderful night. Everything feels absolutely right.

The sprinklers are all running. For once, there is nothing to fix. (That's quite the thing right there.)

The corn crop is growing and growing. It actually looks like there might be record breaking harvests this year.

The beauty of it all surrounds me and sometimes I'm afraid to blink.

Spending time with Colby is always amazing, but it's times like this that I truly treasure.

And I really couldn't ask for anything more.