Olivia Leigh Photography

Monthly Archives: March 2010

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A Weekend with the Webers

March 26, 2010 – 3:29 pm

Been waiting to post this fun blog all week. Now that Chemistry test is behind me and the weekend is here, I can indulge! I had planned to be on the road home already, but this has taken me quite some time to get this one ready to share. Home is the highlight of my week. Living away from home Freshman year made me realize how very much I value family and home. I am so grateful God brought my parents so close to school. Nearly every weekend, Sarah, Justin (one of Dave’s best friends), and I drive and hour to enjoy time with the Wonderful Weber family. Last weekend, I took pictures incesantly, hoping to capture the highlights of a weekend with the Weber’s. So here is a taste of what Justin, Sarah, and I experienced last weekend:

Dad and Dave are so incredible! They know how much I love fires (our whole family does) and typically have one blazing when I get home

Dave was so excited to see us that he promptly busted out some tunes on the piano. Most of his playing is more of a comedy routine than a melodic concert…

Curious where he gets it from? Here you have it, folks! Mom surprised us by pulling out her hilarious dress-up shoes. You can’t see them too well here, but they are hot pink with beads covering the front. I was out on the porch taking pictures and out she pranced…

This one’s for you, Grandma!

On Sabbath, we started our day off enjoying a wonderful church service. When we got home, we spent the afternoon relaxing and enjoying each other. I simply adore my precious Momma. She is truly my very best friend. Who could help but love her?

Dad was headed out for a motorcycle ride when I snapped this one. The glare does a good job of hiding it, but look extra hard and you’ll see his lovely “mean” face…

The activity that took up most of the afternoon was coloring. Mom, Sarah, and Justin colored up a storm! We have the neatest coloring books and a fantastic set of Prisma colored pencils, which have both brought us years of enjoyment. It was so nice to spend the afternoon sitting on the porch by the fire, singing, coloring, and just enjoying each other.

Hard to imagine my Dad giving anyone a hard time, but I caught him in the act here. Love Sarah’s reaction!

So glad I got stuck with these two for life!

Sarah took a coloring break and touched up her toenails

CRAZY about these two people

Loving me a Sabbath afternoon at home!

More hard work…

Life is NEVER dull at the Weber home! Dave was calmly flying around the helicopter Justin gave him the previous weekend when disaster struck. Dave lost control of the helicopter and it came in for a crash landing… on Mom’s head!!! The propellers were tangled in her hair and Dad had to help her get it out. We got some hysterical laughter out of that one!

Dave’s reaction

Mom is forgiving, though…

Dave loves to randomly strike poses for me. He is a goober! I looked up at one point to find him “casually” standing there, waiting for my camera to find him. What a mess!

Replicating a picture of him when he was 4 (although then it was a rubber knife)

One of my favorite times of the week: Sundown Worship

And I HAD to capture a photo of my stylish apparel. Nothing like shorts, high socks, and slippers!

Another one for Grandma…

The sky was GORGEOUS that night. Sarah helped steady my arms for this one since it was so dark outside. It was an incredible sight to see!

And no Weber weekend is complete without Rico’s pizza…

This picture CRACKS me up! Can’t you just feel the enthusiasm?

Sarah was in a baking mood and I decided to get in on the fun. Mom decided it’d be a good idea for us to teach Justin how to make the delicious dessert we selected. He was eager to join the party. And party we did! We had a blast! The aprons made the experience more authentic, and helping Justin read the recipe was hilarious. (He really did great, we just love to give him a hard time…)

Eggs are so much healthier if you shower them with love first

We were aiming for a picture of Justin lecturing us about the proper way to bake Banana Bars, but none of us could stop laughing…

Drama Queen, you say? Sarah had me fake cry for her, the wanted a “normal” picture of me. Haha!

Love the adorable Sarah Decks!

Justin decides baking is not for him?

Just kidding! He was quite the intense chef…

Transferring the dessert to the pan was QUITE an experience

Ever played Farkle? It’s a Weber family favorite! When it comes to games, however, we have many favorites.

Trust me, it really is fun. Justin’s yawn, Mom’s bored face, and Sarah’s calm expression do not make this game look enticing, but it really is a fun. This picture makes me laugh. Games at 11:00 PM start getting reactions like this, I guess…

And Sunday morning started off splendidly with biscuits and gravy. Yum!

And the final picture of the post. This picture is truly just a sampling of the fun I experience every single weekend. My family is wacko and we make each other laugh constantly. So glad Sarah and Justin are brave enough to join in on the fun, not to mention add to it with their craziness.

We spent the rest of the morning cleaning, doing homework, and unpacking boxes. Then, it was back to Southern. INCREDIBLE, relaxing, re-charing weekend.

Well, I’m home to enjoy another one of the marvelous weekends. Oh, it will be different in ways. Sarah is not joining me this time, Temple is delighting us with her presences, and a bunch of Dad’s family is already there. I haven’t seen them in ages and pumped to spend time with them all. Yes, it will be different. But, thankfully, home always has a special recharging agent that prepares me for another crazy week. I am so very grateful for my crazy family and am so excited to get home to them! Have a great weekend, everyone!

By Olivia | Posted in Personal | Comments (0)

HELP from Above

March 25, 2010 – 3:00 pm

It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.” –Isaiah 65:24

Friday afternoon, after the gelato adventure, Temple, Sarah, and I were headed downtown to take Temple and Emily’s senior pictures. Emily was already in town and planned to meet us there, so the three of us piled into my car and headed down I-75. We were a mere 10-15 minutes into our drive, when all of a sudden there was a loud bang. “Was that my tire?” I questioned, too stunned to accept the truth, as I pulled off onto the shoulder of the busy highway. Sarah and Temple confirmed my fears as I dialed Daddy’s number. Dad’s words soothed me like only his words can do as he coached me through the event. I needed to pull across four lanes of traffic to get to the wider shoulder, where there would be room to chance my tire. I hung up with Dad and ventured through the Friday afternoon traffic. Prayers were flying through my head the entire time. Once the car was parked, hazards flashing, the three of us carefully climbed out of the car to survey the damage. A nasty hole had defeated the rear tire on the passenger side. Mom and Dave were nearby and planned to make it to us in about twenty minutes. The sound of gigantic semis breezing past us made me anxious. Twenty minutes? More silent prayers. Not 5 minutes had passed when we saw an ambulance-shaped vehicle pull up behind us. Had someone driving by called for help? We watched curiously as the driver made his way toward us. “I’m with the Highway Incident Response Unit for Tennessee HELP program,” he explained. Handing me pamphlet explaining out they operate, he finished his explanation. “The state of Tennessee offers this free service to its motorists. We have a camera right up there,” he pointed toward the bridge behind us, “and that’s how we spotted you. This is what we do 9 ½ hours every day. It’s complimentary. You can read the brochure for more information about us. Let me get my tools,” he finished. “Before they call, I will answer…” Within 5 minutes the tattered tire had been transferred to my trunk and the spare secured in place. “You were truly an answer to prayer,” I said as he stored his tools. “Well you have a blessed weekend, ma’am,” he replied. “Oh, you too! God bless you!” I gushed. I know God handled the entire situation. When my tire blew, the steering was not affected (which I have always been afraid of). Also, if we had not pulled across the highway and gone under the bridge, the camera would not have spotted us. God knew just where we needed to be and exactly how to get us there. I am so thankful that we serve a good Who cares about every aspect of our lives—even flat tires.

By Olivia | Posted in Personal | Comments (0)

Experiencing Gelato

March 25, 2010 – 9:00 am

“Gelato is so much creamier and more tasty than ice cream,” I’ve always been told. While I have come close to experiencing this delicacy many times, something always stopped me from doing the deed. Either there was a choice between gelato and ice cream where ice cream was cheaper or I was not eating sugar at the time. Yeah, I ate a tiny bite of my roommate’s store-bought gelato once, but it was frozen so hard that we could barely get it out of the carton. Sure, it tasted all right, but it was no better than the Ben and Jerry’s I was devouring. Well, everything changed this past Friday. Determined to end my years of estrangement with good ‘ol gelato, I commandeered Cassi and Sarah to join me. Collegedale has a new gelato place that everyone has been raving about, but the only time I had stepped foot in it with friends, I was on a sugar fast. But not this time. First off, Cassi and I enjoyed China Kitchen’s fine cuisine—an old favorite we had not partaken of in far too long. When we were full of Veggie Sweet and Sour Chicken with fried rice, we made our way next store to The Creamy Bean. At this point Sarah joined us (she resisted the evils of sugar, though, other than a few tastes of mine). The decision was tough to make, but out of all the alluring flavors I opted for Pistachio. Cassi settled on Strawberry, and both of our sumptuous desserts were scooped into waffle cones. Cass had never eaten gelato either, so the experience was even more exciting.

So which is tastier: ice cream or gelato? Well, I’ll never get tired of some good Bluebell or Ben and Jerry’s, but I will admit that my encounter with gelato was fantastic. The rich, creamy concoction was definitely all that it was cracked up to be. So, while I will always enjoy ice cream, plain and simple, you won’t have to twist my arm to get me back into a gelato shop…

By Olivia | Posted in Personal | Comments (0)

Shaylee Caroline

March 24, 2010 – 7:10 am

I rolled out of bed with anticipation. The day had finally arrived! Would I be grossed out? What if I couldn’t handle it? But how exciting! And what an honor. After I had showered and fixed my hair, I climbed into the car for my ride to the hospital with Dad. When I arrived, she was already hooked up to the monitor, IV tubes connected. The next 3ish hours flew by (well for me, I think they must have dragged for Kim), and around 11:15 Shaylee Caroline Sexson entered the world. That was truly one of the most exciting days of my life. I wasn’t brave enough to watch the epidural, but I stood by Kim’s shoulder and watched one of my favorite little people begin her life. The memories are still so vivid in my mind. “There’s her head! See it? Right there! Do you see it?” Kim’s friend Tania, Dr. Darrell, and nurse Janalee Adams (a longtime family friend) all enthusiastically pointed out the emerging angel that would soon steal so many hearts. The nurse and Denny (her Daddy) cleaned baby Shay off and secured her burrito-wrap, then went to hand her off to Momma. “Liv is dying to hold her,” Kim, who was still being worked on, told them. “No! She’s your baby. You’ve waited 9 months for this,” was my reply. “They’re not done with me yet. You hold her,” she insisted. I will never forget that special moment. To this day I cannot believe Kim let me hold her first. What a privilege! All too soon, I had to race out the door for my Pathfinder camping trip. What a fantastic experience it had been, though.

Since that short morning 5 years ago, Shaylee Caroline has charmed her way into the hearts of many people. Nothing compared to rocking her to sleep during church, her tiny body snuggled close to me. Listening to her learn new words, use new expressions, and mimic her sisters brought joy to my heart. And now she is 5. I cannot believe it. I am astounded at how quickly time flies. It breaks my heart. And she’s not even my own kid! I cannot begin to imagine how fast time will fly then. Our move from Texas has lengthened the amount of time between our visits, but snuggles, giggles, and excursions with my three angels are still the highlights of my life. Life was grand when it was just Mickynzie, Brenna, Dave, and I, but life with Shaylee in the bunch is superb. I am so thankful God brought her into this world.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures of Shaylee through the years:

Tears filled my eyes when I came across this picture the other night. Although this picture is nothing fantastic, I was just overwhelmed by how small she was. I just could not believe she was truly once that tiny! Seems like just last week!

CLICK HERE to see a slideshow I created of various snapshots of Shaylee’s first 5 years. She has been the victim of many of my photo shoots, and a lot of the pictures in the slideshow are from those shoots. Many of them are just snapshots taken by her Mom or I…

Several weeks ago, I got a phone call from Shaylee. I was in class and could not answer, but when I checked my messages afterwards, tears sprung into my eyes. Here is what I heard: “Hi Olivia. This is Shaylee. Will you get me a Bible for my birthday? Thanks! I love you. Bye.” I started the tradition with Mickynzie when she was ready for her first Bible. Kim gave me the honor of buying Kenzie her very first Bible, a NKJV with her name engraved on the front. When Brenna was ready for hers, Kim alerted me so I could continue the tradition. Shaylee was obviously the next in line. But I had no idea she would be ready so soon! Kim told me that Shaylee had informed Brenna that “I will be learning to read soon. I’m going to need my own Bible so I can read it.” Kim and Denny, you guys are doing something right. It is a delight to see how your girls are growing in Jesus. I am so proud of your little family!

Happy Birthday, Shaylee! Wish I could give you a birthday hug! Love you all, Sexson family! Hugs and Kisses!

By Olivia | Posted in Personal | Comments (1)

The Ionic Battle

March 23, 2010 – 3:00 pm

These recent blog posts have been a testament to the fun times we have here in Talge East. As a result of all this fun, I sometimes forget the importance of studying. Okay, okay, truthfully (believe it or not) school still comes first. But Chemistry has been giving me a run for my money. The first test was so simple and I did so well on it that I assumed (not so intelligently) that the next one would not be much more difficult. I’ll admit, the review sheet was daunting, but it couldn’t be that much harder than the first test, could it? WRONG! I left that test feeling like I had bombed it. Seriously. I am prone to exaggeration, but I literally wondered if I had passed more than 1- 1 ½ pages of my 4-page test. NOT a good feeling. Thankfully, I passed. But it was a close call! A wake-up call. Apparently I was not the only one who did poorly on the test. Giving us a chance to redeem ourselves, Dr. Hamstra graciously scheduled a quiz on ions and ionic compounds. The catch? The grade on our quiz would affect our test average for the semester. Definite incentive for a perfectionist to step up her efforts. This past Thursday was the allotted day for the quiz. After much studying, I marched into that classroom ready to conquer. When I walked out of the room, I felt pretty confident that I had missed only two. Worse than I would have like, but much better than before. The truth is, I may never conquer Chemistry. I love life too much to accomplish that goal. But one thing is certain. I am not going to let Chemistry defeat me. God has been so faithful. I’ll just keep doing my part, and I know He’ll get me through this…