Reach Out to Someone

I have seen to many friends of friends and my friends family member commit suicide this year. It breaks my heart to pieces.

I sit here and wonder how life could be so bad that they do the most final thing they can do. I mean, you cant take back suicide. They must be in such a dark lonely state to do it. Which then makes me wonder, did they show anyone signs. Did they try to reach out?

Some people seem happy, seem ok, and dont reach out to anyone, no one knew it was coming. No one could have reached out.

The only thing I can offer is to be kind to everyone. Smile at everyone. Say hi to everyone. Even someone you pass at the store. Someone you dont know. They may be so depressed, that they have thoughts of suicide, but your simple smile or hello shows them that people in the world do care.

And it may not be that simple too.

I dont know.

I am praying for those you have lost loved ones to suicide. It breaks my heart.

I am not business material

So Matthew said that I am not business material. What he means by that is that I am not hard nosed enough to have a successful money making business. I have the talent, but I like to give more than I like to charge.

I find much more joy doing a photo session for a sweet family for free than charging them an arm and a leg to do their pictures. I enjoy crocheting things for people as gifts much more than i enjoy taking custom orders for people.


I am THANKFUL that I make money with my crochet and pictures, I am blessed, but could never make a full time job out of either. I lose the love for it that way. Never again will I let that happen.

I have been so busy this year making people hats, and making baby shower gifts and that sort of thing.

Anyways..... I am thankful that Matthew works so hard so that I dont have to go and get a full time job too. I am thankful to get to be my kids mom all the time and stay home with Hannah, and be home right when Trevor gets out of school and spend time with him. I am thankful that I also have time to do some hobbies that I love.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Well let’s start this year with Trevor!
Trevor started Kindergarten this year. We had every intention of homeschooling but really felt the Lord leading us to public school, so I nervously obeyed. It was the best decision we could have ever made. He LOVES school. If he is sick, he gets upset with me that he has to miss a day. His teacher Mr. Hall is AMAZING!!!! He is the best teacher I have encountered yet. Trevor was nervous at the start of school; he would not talk to Mr. Hall or answer questions. Now he talks and answers question, Mr. Hall said Trevor is the first one to raise his hand to answer now and that he always has the right answer. I know it’s just kindergarten but he is scoring all 100’s on his homework and on his report cards and testing. He is one smart cookie!

Hannah had to adjust to life without Trevor during the day. We go to the gym, which is her favorite thing, and we play here at home and work on some “school” during the day. She is picking up on a lot of Trevor’s sight words and stuff that we work on with him. She is sassy sassy sassy too! She is such a tomboy and so girlie at the same time. She LOVES dresses and would gladly pass up getting toys if she could get a new dress. She also LOVES to play trucks. She is such a love and has an endless supply of hugs and kisses. She is very shy but give her 10 minutes tops with you and she will not be able to shut her words off. Talk talk talk .

Matthew……. Hmmm…… What to say about Mr. Todd. He is AMAZING! I love this man more and more each day. He is still working hard at Todd Piano Works and doing great! He is also teaching piano now and has a good amount of students. He also plays the piano at a church on Sundays and Wednesdays. So basically anything to do with pianos, he does it. Little known fact, he is also really good with woodworking. It is his hobby in the winter here when it is colder. He built Trevor a train table to Christmas and it is very cool! This year Matthew lost his dad to pancreatic cancer. It broke my heart to see my husband’s heart broken. We were just so thankful for all the prayers of our friends and family because the peace we felt and still feel over losing George is too great for words. God really gave us His peace that passes all understanding. We are thankful that George is now with Jesus and no longer suffering. Though he died way too young, he loved Jesus and he we know we will see him again.

Now me. I don’t like to talk about myself. I am mommy, wife, housekeeper, chef……and on and on. I love it and I am so thankful that Matthew is willing to work so hard so that I can stay home and keep up the house and raise our kids. It is such a blessing to me to not have to put our kids in daycare. I love it. I also have gracefully bowed out of having a photography business. I still do pictures for friends and sometime their friends, but I was losing the joy and love for photography doing it as a business. I am keeping it a hobby, and finally I LOVE doing it again. It is one of my passions. I also crochet and make hats for people. It is really fun and I have gotten kind of good at it.

We have been going to www.newhopechurch.tv for going on 2 years now. I remember the first time we went there; it was so huge, I was nervous, and then we walked in and people helped us out, showed us where to go and were so kind. The blessing for me was this: when we first went there were 3 photographers there that took a lot of the church pictures, and I thought that I wouldn’t have a place there with my pictures……boy was I wrong!! I now do all of the baptism pictures each week. There are baptisms just about every week! Anyways I take pictures of each person getting baptized and then upload them to the net for them to download. I also do pictures of volunteers and church functions. It’s really fun!
Anyways, the church is amazing, the people are fantastic and the music and message are always on point. They are current, and you walk away each week changed. The care groups are also very awesome!


We LOVE our church and that is a great blessing to us this year and every year.


We hope that everyone has an amazing Christmas, and remember why we celebrate. Love to everyone from the Todd Clan.




I left out the most important part!! Matthew and I got baptized this year at New Hope Church, and we were baptized together! It was such a great day! New Hope has really been a life changer for us. God is so good!

Wow

I havent not posted a blog in a while. Ya know why? Because every waking moment has been filled with kids, hubby, house and crochet. I am a bit overwhelmed but I am thankful that God is blessing my hobby so much! It is exciting and tiring.

I am enjoying coming up with new items to make too.

Trevor seems to be still doing great at school, getting 100% on everything he brings home. Smarty Pants. I am just thankful he loves school. I hope it never leaves him.

Hannah.... well she is sassy and sweet. I cant wait for her to be in school because I know she is a bit bored with me all day.

We are excited for Christmas coming up!!

Oh yeah and my dad is coming to visit in March!! First time my dad and sisters will have been here to see us, so I am VERY excited about that! Also excited that they will get to go to church with us too :-D Since my church is so rad :-D

Bullies

Bullies suck!


I hate the fact that my son is in kindergarten and he is getting bullied. I mean come on, you are FIVE years old little boy, you are not supposed to bully.

When I was 5 everyone got along with everyone.

I vowed that if Trevor got bullied and it wasn't stopped by the school that we would homeschool.

Mr. Hall is jumping right on it though and taking steps to ensure that this will be over. He is the BEST teacher that I have ever seen. He is sharp and on the ball, he does not tolerate any kind of picking on or bullying.

I want to be mad at the kid and I want to tell Trevor to punch the kid in the face but I know that is not the answer. The issue most always stems from the parents. Either they are not there for the kid or they work too much or something. There is some reason that he feels the need to pick on my sweet son.
It is not horrible bullying but if this kid doesn't get stopped now while he is 5/6 it will only get worse as he gets older.