Senior Pics - Take 54723. . .

So many pictures, so little time. . . . Despite several rendezvous miscues, I spent a fabulous afternoon with the senior girls taking the LAST round of senior pics. I was so happy they were all available on a Saturday! Here is a mere sampling of the ones on my computer. I have narrowed their pictures down to a mere 479 in a "best" folder. (Not to mention all the pictures from the other two shoots and the boys' sessions, as well!) That being said, I think all will understand that it is going to take me a little while to finish this project and create a slideshow for this very beautiful and talented senior class! I love this group of kids-- they were oh-so-much-fun to hang out with! Enjoy!

A Few More Senior Pics

I took the second group of senior guys out to the park for their individual pics this afternoon. Since our days are ever shortening, we only had an hour in which to capture their beguiling personalities. Since personality just overflows in this group, I didn't have to work too hard. Here are a few highlights of Dan, Andrew, and Daniel:

Taking senior pictures is just SO BORING. . . these guys never have any fun.

I should really be more cautious about saying, "Now make a funny face." Though these guys are experts, someone really might get hurt.

Stay tuned for MORE. . . coming from a computer near you.

The Advent of Advent

Advent devotions have been a part of our family tradition since our children were quite small. We began with an advent wreath on the coffee table, lighting the appropriate candle each evening while we sang Christmas hymns, read the Bible, and prayed together. As our family grew, our traditions grew -- and we added nativity scene calendars, exchange-a-piece puzzles, paper open-a-door-a-day activities, playmobil nativity figures, et cetera, et cetera. . . Our children loved this special family time, although it is debatable whether they were so very holy or really just wanted see from how great a distance they could blow out the advent candle (only three tries permitted before you must forfeit; don't you dare blow out more than one; and guests get the extinguishing privilege no matter who's turn it really was). As you can see, tradition runs DEEP in this Burns family.

As we are watching a whole new generation of Christian families emerge here in K-stan, we desire to help them raise their children in the faith, develop family traditions, and give them meaningful ways to celebrate this "new" holiday - the celebration of Christ's birth. And since there is no competing commercialism for this non-existent holiday, the door is wide open.

With this in mind, I was inspired to help our national young mamas make their own advent calendars, complete with count-down felt envelopes, scripture references, and accompanying Jesse Tree ornaments. Today our living room was a staging ground for different variations of said calendar. Experimentation completed. Modifications made. I will be snipping and sewing and gluing and painting for weeks to come!

Peter Pan Grows Up?

I have been thinking about this post for a while now. . . thus, the great delay. I guess I have been trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is now a legal adult.

You must understand. . . Daniel has been Peter Pan for the duration of his life. It started before he turned two -- a very close identification with the flying boy wonder. And there was certainly something there - the clever, impish, warring, mischievious, impudent, anti-establishment, leader of the lost boys, crowing, never-going-to-grow up, conqueror of Captain Hook was somehow Daniel's alter-ego. We let him go there. I bought green clothes and didn't object when that was only color he would wear (for years). He always carried a knife (at least one) in his pocket. When we were in Houston for Allison's birth, we purchased tickets to TUTS Peter Pan stage show and wrote letters to the administration requesting an exception to the "no children under five" rule, explaining that Daniel would sit enraptured by the show and could probably be an under-study for the lead role. (They answered with a resounding, "YES!" FYI - we didn't tell Daniel the lead was played by a woman - that might have crushed his 3 year-old warrior heart.) We didn't mind the crowing and the mischief and the wonderful spirit of youth. Daniel simply was Peter Pan.

On his recent birthday, however, I was sitting in church next to Daniel, contemplating the fact that our son had just turned 18. He was an adult. He would be moving to the other side of the world to begin his independent life very soon. And then, suddenly, a thought hit me. "Peter Pan has grown up." And that very idea just about sent me into a puddle of tears. How could that happen? Peter Pan, the defiant one, who said, "I WON'T grow up" and ran away to Never-Never-Land to make sure that wouldn't happen. How could he have grown up without us noticing it? I quickly changed my thoughts (so that I WOULDN'T melt into tears) and put that worrisome one on the back shelf.

Fast-forward to that afternoon. Daniel had just received a digital photo frame from his dad and we were watching his life history, frame by frame. After a particularly touching series of pictures, I, in overly sentimental fashion -- having just had this Peter-Pan-has-grown-up-mourning-moment, you understand -- said, "Awwww, Daniel, you were Peter Pan." And then, Daniel looked at me, directly, without blinking an eye, and said, "Mom, I AM Peter Pan." Well, I guess I didn't have to worry about losing that part of my son forever. We will always live with one foot in Never-Never-Land.
In case anyone ever thought that you couldn't see the future in the child, I thought I would post this series of pictures. It seems there have been some common themes running through Daniel's life. Some things never change:

The Warrior

A flair for the dramatic: (Daniel has always fully immersed himself in his dramatic roles. As a matter of fact, when he played the ram in the Christmas Nativity play, he was so fully into his part that he spontaneously LICKED baby Jesus on the head to show his great devotion.) Leader of the Band of Brothers (sorry, girls. . .) [Although many people have wondered about Daniel being the sole boy with three sisters, he really hasn't done so badly. As a matter of fact, I think they followed him into battle far more than he was ever forced to wear a tutu.] He has always had a band of willing warriors to lead.

Even if he does hide, waiting to ambush those same friends. . .

A fascination with rockets, explosions, and fire (even if he doesn't end up inventing new rocket propulsion or saving the world from terrorists, he will certainly play some fun games with his children :-) !)

Interest in catapults of various kinds - beginning in the children' museum, carrying on in the high school classroom (and lunch room?)

Development of Unusual Hobbies. If there was ever a mother who was concerned about her child running away and joining the circus, it was me. Because he could have. With his eight years of acrobatic training and his self-taught juggling, unicycling, clowning skills, Daniel certainly might have chosen such a career path. Good thing he didn't like dancing bears.

Love for his sisters. Yes, it has always been there. Even if he tries to hide it.

Love for ice cream. He doesn't often try to hide that one.

Desire to climb mountains with his dad. The mountains have just gotten bigger in recent days.

The propensity to do the unexpected. 'Nuff said.

Happy Birthday, Peter Pan! We will always enjoy your indomitable spirit of youth, even if one day you do have to wear a tie. . .