Would you believe?

This is just a pretty picture of the sunset and snow.

Would you believe these are actual pictures of snowflakes?

Yes I am serious... How cool is that. How cool is God???

Let's just call it Nasty November...

Why you may ask? Wow, it has been a month. I started it off, the first day of November by a trip to the emergency room!!! Yay! wasn't me, was Juju, and we thought possible appendicitis... ewww. Finally at 2 am they say "naw... you're full of crap." and send us home to take some puralax... Yes literally full of crap, she had a back up poor girl.

A few days later my back/left side started really hurting... I thought maybe I had pulled a muscle when I was crammed on the gurney with Juju napping in the ER at 1 am... Then these weird spots came up. It looked almost like poison oak or something... I thought maybe I had gotten a slight burn, I had been living on the heating pad, trying to help the pain. Then we thought it was a kidney stone. The pain was very localized, and right where my left kidney should have been. Que teased me about the spots saying the kidney stone was trying to come out my side.

So I took this awful, awful let me repeat AWFUL home remedy, 2oz of lemon juice, and 2oz of olive oil gently stirred together, drink it like a shot... After the first swallow you don't taste anything... your taste buds are singed!!! I drank it, hoping to relieve the pain... It didn't help.

I went to the doctor on monday, they said "Well it isn't a kidney stone, but you have some sort of infection, according to your white blood count." That didn't help any, I was in pain.

So what did I do, just keep on keeping on.

Finally Que looked at me one day, and said "Does Shingles have a rash with it?"

BINGO No i'm not kidding. IKR??? I'm only 37 too young for shingles I thought. So now towards the end of the month, I am finally beginning to feel better, the shingles are drying up, one even fell off... yay. and guess what... I got the flu which left me with Bronchitis.... SHEASH. Will it never end? Yes it will, TODAY!

Today is the last day of November. It's rainy out today, lots of storms, which I love, so I am hiding in a Starbucks until it is time for my class. When I went up to the register to get something to eat, a lady walked up behind me and said "Let me get that!" and proceeded to pay for my drink and muffin!

December is looking better already!

If God cares enough to paint stripes on acorns, and place polka-dots on leaves,

SURELY he cares for you!

Green Couch Night 2010 revisited...

Look, my sister found an old pic of the green couch!! With Shannon holding me on it! What can I say? I've always been the 'bigger' sister...

Green Couch Night 2010

We had an awesome time! If you want to know why it is called "Green Couch Night" click here.

We watched 5 movies, two dramas, one of which was a real tear jerker... I cry every year at GCN... a sci fi flick that only I really liked, and two cackling comedies... Those are my favorite, I love to hear my mother laugh. She and I can't laugh quietly! Shannon made some wonderful potato soup,. and I supervised a spinach quiche. I was gonna cook it, but I woke up with Bronchitis... no fun... We put up mom's tree for her and most of all had a wonderful time. I told Shannon we need to do it again in July for her bday...

Mamma Dunk's Whipping Creme Pound Cake

This is Mama Dunk

Mama Dunk is well known as a wonderful cook. This is one of her recipes.

Whipping Cream Pound cake

3 cups sugar

1 cup butter

7 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla flavoring

3 cups of all purpose (plain) flour

½ pint whipping cream (do not whip)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Blend sugar and butter with mixer

Add eggs one at a time while mixing

Add vanilla

Add flour and whipping cream slowly (if you put all the flour in at one time you will have a spectacular mess to clean. Learned that one the hard way.)

Mix well until smooth

I use a bunt pan, sprayed well with cooking spray.

Bake in greased pan for 1 ½ hour at 300 degrees

Christmas Wishes

The stores do it, so why can't I? Do what? Start thinking about Christmas. So here are some items on my Christmas wish list...

1. this is soooooooo cool! It looks JUST LIKE A LENS... but it isn't, it's a MUG! too awesome I want one please... It is only about $25.

2. This is also super cool! These are tiny lenses, a macro/wide angle, and a fisheye. They fit on your cell phone camera... How cool is that? I don't really want the fisheye, but I would LOVE to have the Wide angle/Macro... it is only $20 Not asking tooo much is it?

Ok that's all for now... I'll keep looking, in case anyone cares...

Does God Care?

I believe He does. I found this today while I was cleaning... Enjoy. (I wrote it about 2.5 years ago...)

God Handed Me a Blanket.

Juliannah (6) fell and broke her arm, because of that, her left arm is in a cast, and sling. It really limits her mobility. She is having to be creative, and re learn how to do some things one handed.

We were driving in the car the other day, just she and I, and since my car doesn't have air conditioner, I had all the windows open. Sometimes that is good, and sometimes, not so much... When we first got in the car, Anny was hot, so she asked me to roll down her window. However as we started moving, she got cold and wanted her window shut. I was too busy driving at the moment, and told her she would have to wait.

If you have ever ridden in a hatch back with all the widows down going fast, then you know it is not uncommon for a small tornado to form inside and debris to start circulating (especially if you don't have the cleanest of cars...) Such was the case on this particular day. The debris that happened to float up was a blanket from the back. Anny grabbed it, and said "Mommy, I was cold and God gave me a blanket!!!"

I am so glad God cared enough to give her a blanket. What about you, do you need a blanket? After all, God tells us in Psalms 55:22 Turn your burdens over to the LORD, and he will wrap you up in a blanket... (DaNella's Version).

I'm learning to see sunsets again.

I miss my nice clean Fl beach sunsets... I am learning that even with city clutter a sunset is still beautiful.

Sometimes we need to relearn an old idea. I need to appreciate what I have and quit wishing for what I don't. Jus sayin...

Final day of summer...

For Nana's birthday we went swimming. Well four of us did. Que was working on some stuff and Matt was "too cool" to go... (my words, not his). This is one of my favorite shots, "One, two three, Go!" and they did. They all started at the same time, but wound up landing in the water at different times... Perfect Photo Opp!

I love you baby girl!

Here's what I am.

I told you it was too easy. Tami you nailed it the first day, it is a spider web full of dust I pulled out of the corner of my house. Being the photo geek I am, I took a

picture of it, and another, and then tried to enlarge it to near unrecognizable status... Obviously I failed... Told you I'm slipping... lol

Praying for my Sons and Daughters-in-love

No, you haven't missed anything, it hasn't been that long since I blogged. My kids are only 15, 14, 10, and 9 respectively. None of them are married. However I believe they all will be one day, and a couple of years ago one of them (I won't say who...) was crushing (infatuated, twitterpated) with someone one I didn't really like. This other person was not on the same level spiritually as my kid, and had no desire to be. I started then praying every night for my one day 'in-loves'. When I pray with the kids each night I say "and I pray that even now you would prepare the wonderful Godly men and women that they will marry someday."

Just like my friend Deanna recently mentioned in her blog, this is a very important decision, I want it made wisely, so I pray. A LOT. None of them are allowed to date yet, but that is a whole 'nother blog. This reminded me of that Wayne Watson song...

Somewhere in the world today

A little girl will go out to play
All dressed up in mama's clothes
At least the way that I suppose it goes
Somewhere in the world tonight
Before she reaches to turn out the light
She'll be prayin' from a tender heart
A simple prayer that's a work of art

Chorus
And I don't even know her name
But I'm prayin' for her just the same
That the Lord will write His name upon her heart
'Cause somewhere in the course of this life
A little boy will need a godly wife
So hold on to Jesus, baby, wherever you are

Somewhere in the world out there
That little girl's learnin' how to care
She's pickin' up her mamas charms
Or maybe, swingin' 'round in her daddy's arms
Somewhere in the world to be
Though the future's not real clear to me
Their's could be a tender love
Grounded in eternal love above

My husband got saved 6 mos before I met him, I firmly believe that was an answer to my parents and grandparents prayers.

True, but Tyrannical?

He has a point, but I am not sure this is the way to get his message out. He is preaching 'Hell fire and Brimstone.' Frankly, I don't think these kids are listening. They really don't care. One guy even stood there and said "(Colorful Language I Won't Repeat) you!( CLIWR) God! if he exists. I don't think he even exists, God if you care send lightening out of heaven and strike me." pause for a few seconds... "I'm still here, God's not real."

Wow this kid is in for a rude awakening one day. All I can say is Stop Drop and Roll won't work in Hell.

I'm praying for my UAB campus.

What Am I ?

This one is toooooo easy. I think I'm slipping...

Nana's critters...

Nana is constantly coming home with something. This one she found at little miss Natalee's photo shoot. Ms Renee cringed... lol

Anybody know what this is???

Here's the truth.

Someone said "Who would lay their head on a chicken?" To which I totally agree!

However, Juliannah would. It's real!!!

This is her and our neighbor's chicken, which she has named "Sweetheart," because "she is such a sweetheart!" Crazy kids, but I love em.

Shout out to Enrique... good call the same light source on the beak and Juju's nose... But I couldn't fix that, it would be photo shopping... This picture is completely untouched.

What Am I (well kinda)

Actually I want to know if this is real or photo shopped? What do you think?

Burning the Qur'an

(fire from a meal at Mizu, I just liked the fire pic, looks like a phoenix...)

This is an "Assemblies of God special announcement."

"Assemblies of God denounces burning of Qur'an In what has become a national furor, a small non-denominational church, Dove World Outreach Center, in Gainesville, Florida, has announced plans to burn copies of the Qur'an on Saturday, September 11 — the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. As the church has reportedly made claims of Pentecostalism, the Assemblies of God — the overall ninth largest denomination in the United States and one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the United States — has made it clear it has no ties with the church and has publicly objected to the burning. "I don't believe that [burning the Qur'an] is respectful toward the very people we want to love into the Kingdom," states AG General Superintendent George O. Wood. "It only drives Muslims farther away from the Lord Jesus and reinforces the false notion that followers of Jesus are crusaders from the Middle Ages." General David Patraeus, the American commander in Afghanistan, and President Barack Obama have both voiced their strong objections to the planned burning — saying that it will put the lives of American soldiers at risk and be used as a recruitment tool for Al Qaeda. Numerous church and religious leaders have also condemned the burning. However, Terry Jones, the pastor and founder of Dove World Outreach Center, has indicated the burning will still take place. "Such actions as these only make it more difficult to effectively witness to Muslims," Wood says. "Our focus should be on sharing the amazing love of God that brought Jesus into this world to die for our sins — not engaging in activities that only drive people farther away from Christ." --AG News"

Having said all of that, how do you feel?

Do you think it is wrong?

What about people burning bibles?

Should we just 'turn the other cheek?'

Here's what I am!

A rock! My niece Becka Bean guessed it right away, I just didn't let her comment show!

What am I?

I love these... soooo much fun... Little things amuse small minds... Little things and a good camera that is...

Update on the twins.

The twins are still in foster care, but are a few steps closer to being up for adoption. I can't say much, and I can't post "recognizable" pictures of them online, so I made this one 'unrecognizable'... However, you can still tell from his face he is having a ball running from his cousin Anny. They are a part of our family, keep praying they will be a part of our forever family.

DaNella Auten Photography, The Beginning

I have always loved photography, and getting my picture made. I always loved how the picture brought the memory right back to life. Like the time my sister and cousin made a beanbag sandwich out of me, I will never forget that... largely because my Uncle Jim took pictures. I played around with pictures some, and got some cute pics of my kids as they were growing, but I consider this my first 'pro' shot. I didn't really take it, but I set it up. We were at a walmart portrait studio, and I badgered the poor lady to death, 'do this, do that, put in this prop, take out that one...' However, she was so sweet, when I set up this shot, she said 'Wow, you need to be in photography, want a job?'

I was tempted, but at the time I didn't have to work, so I stayed at home with my kids. This was in 2002 or 2003 but I still look back on this as the first real picture of my career. It is Juliannah btw...