The family that plays together...

There is a lot of work going on this week around here. We are gearing up for a family wedding, our second sister of the year is being married off on Saturday.

There have been dress fittings and meetings with caterers. Last minute portrait sessions and mad dashes to the store to get those last minute details finished.

It hasn't all been work, though. We've enjoyed hanging out, since all of the siblings are home at this point. Even the sister that lives a few hours away. It's been good to be together, as our family gets ready for another big *but exciting* change.

We're adding yet another member to the group. Another brother-in-law, husband, friend, and uncle. He's a brave soul. But at the same time...he totally doesn't deserve my fabulous sister. ;)

I can't wait for all the exciting things that are going to happen in the next few days, but at the same time I don't want to rush it. Soon enough another sister will be an old married lady, and will move away (only a couple of hours...but still). It's just like with my kids, every new stage is fun and exciting, but I will definitely miss the one we are leaving behind.

Part-Time Sap

I am a non-fan of Taylor Swift. Her songs kind of gag me, and I mean that in the nicest way. Her songs are super sappy, and I'm only a part-time sap. Like Sunday when I dropped my kids off in the nursery and they looked a teeny bit sad? I definitely had to run for the hills so they wouldn't see me tearing up. But sometimes I think...oooh puh-leeease when a sappy moment happens.

I think as far as sappy moments go, my sister getting married this coming weekend will probably qualify. I got to do an e-sesh for them last weekend and put my photoggin hobby to good use, and for some odd reason I hear Miss Swift in my head when I look at this shot. So I decided just to embrace my inner sappiness and go with it. ;)

But can you feel this magic in the air? It must have been the way you kissed me
Today was a fairytale...
- Taylor Swift

Check out more shots at 3 Boybarians & Perceptive Perspectives

Real Men...

There are lots of opinions I'm sure on this subject. You know, on what makes a man a "real man".

Some people think you're not a man until you can shave...but as my husband loves to say, "there are plenty of boys who can shave".

Some people think it's when you turn 18. Or maybe when you graduate from college. Or get your first real job...

I may not be an expert on the subject. I'm no man, and the only "man" I've raised is not even 3. But in my humble opinion...I think that it's pretty manly do to the laundry for your wife, or mom, whichever.

Thanks, men. ;)

Hint of Fall

This week marked the official beginning of fall. It really hasn't felt like fall just yet...which is ok by me. I figure I have plenty of cold weather ahead of me...why rush it?

I spent summer's last few hours outside with the kids. Tirzah eating leaves, and Merrick climbing the tractor and dragging tree limbs around the yard. Nothing out of the ordinary. ;)

They don't really know what summer is, or that it's now over. They just know that it's fun to be outside. I'm trying to catch this attitude now that summer, my most favorite, is over until next year.
There is, however, one thing I looove about fall. It has great holidays. Thanksgiving, and Halloween. I love Thanksgiving because of the food, and I love Halloween...because of the "food". Candy corn is most definitely food.

So, Fall, I guess since you come bearing turkey and candy corn. You can stay. ;) What's your favorite thing about fall?

Check out more shots at The Paper Mama. (The 3rd shot is my choice for Hint of Color)

Nursing a jerk.

First, let me warn you. I am ranting just a bit. I recently ran across a blog post, on a popular blog, about breastfeeding. *Aaand all male readers just ran screaming. Sorry, I gotta get this off my chest. Uh, sorry, I typed that and thought about it later.* It was talking about Giselle's recent statements about making breastfeeding a law. (And more recently I've been hearing about the formula recalls) When I first heard that...I considered hunting down Giselle and, well, never mind. I was mad. Pretty stinkin mad.

I think I was mostly mad because I felt judged for my decision NOT to nurse. *And yes, I heard the collective gasp of mothers all across the internet.* I tried with M, no workey. 3 months of pain, crying, starving skinny baby, postpartum depression made worse by hours of shutting myself away with a newborn who was starving and making me feel like I was physically on fire. I didn't even try with Tirzah...I didn't want to go through all that with her too. I just wanted to enjoy her and not dread feeding her.

While doing what other people said was right for me and my son, I was miserable. He was hungry...I was depressed and in pain. I learned to hate it. Maybe it was partially my fault. Maybe I didn't try hard enough. Maybe I wasn't stubborn enough. Maybe I was a sissy...yes, someone had the nerve to call me a sissy. After 20+ hours of natural labor, including 3 hours of pushing, followed by an emergency c-section, I'm pretty darn sure I'm no sissy.

I finally made a decision that made some people look down their noses at me. And I don't regret it. After I quit we were both fat and happy. Well, HE was fatter...I was just happier. I didn't resent him when he wanted to eat, and didn't dread that time spent with him, I was able to enjoy being his mother and be in a better frame of mind. How...please tell me, is that a selfish decision?

There are things that all of us, moms included, judge other people for. And many of them are things that in the long run have no bearing on raising children who love God and the people around them. There are things that are non-negotiable, stealing/lying/murder/running out of chocolate *kidding* are wrong no matter who you are, but nursing/not nursing doesn't make you a bad mom. You can nurse until your child graduates from college but if you aren't teaching them good values, and modeling those values, then you'll just have a breast-fed jerk.

But I am realizing that as much as I felt it was best for my baby for me to not nurse, and I feel it's best for them to be vaccinated *another hot button issue*, that same decision is not black and white, wrong or right, and will be viewed and decided differently by another mother. It's my job to raise and protect my kids, and to sincerely follow God's leading as to how to go about that. As it should be. I am responsible for my decisions, as is everyone else.

And it's also my job to not judge people for their decisions...no matter how ridiculous I think it may be. ;) Hey, I've got enough jobs around here to keep me busy.

Mums the word.

I've never been a gardener. I think I've mentioned that before. I once tried to grow Morning Glories, which I'm told by my hubby are pretty much weeds. How did they do? They never sprouted. I can't even grow weeds.

Thankfully my husband, and not me, is helping get the family land ready for my sister's wedding in two weeks. They planted some new grass, tore up some ugly old roots, and put in a bunch of flowers. I'm told they are called Mums...who knew. I just called them "the purple, orange and red things".

I think my kids kind of miss the concept of gardening, anyway. Anything I planted, and managed to grow, would most likely be trampled. Merrick walked outside, saw the flowers, and said "I step them?" Heavens, no. Papaw, who payed for these so-called Mums, will skin you, and I don't mean that literally. Maybe when they get older we can kill some weeds together.

But for now I think I'll just stay out of gardens and flower beds. It's not healthy. For the plants, that is.
But thanks to Billy and my dad's hard work, I think the yard is going to look great for the wedding. As long as I stay far away from the mums. And Merrick, too, for that matter. ;)

She's a man eater.

Particularly...a daddy eater. He's kind of at her mercy. ;)

She has her uncle, her grandpas, and definitely her daddy right where she wants them.
She is definitely sugar and spice *probably a little more on the spicey side*.

She already knows how to flirt and wave like miss America. *Her daddy does not approve, and tells her to save her flirting for whoever she marries when she turns 40*
But watch out...she does still bite occasionally. ;)

Check out more shots at Communal Global and
3 Boybarians (the first shot is my pick for Sweet Shot)

Hacked?

Not really...but anyone who knows me, and my bug phobia, wouldn't believe I voluntarily posted a bug shot on my blog.

I was shooting at the airport the other day, and he jumped right on the window of the truck I was riding in. My husband harassed me until I took a picture of him, horrifying me even further with stories about how these monsters have even jumped up his pants while he's mowing. And through the choking back of the vomit, I realized that this grasshopper was actually pretty amazing. In a horrible disgusting kind of way.

And these are but the outer fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him!
Who then can understand the thunder of His power? Job 26:14

UPS Men are like Santa Clause.

Not in the sense that they have white beards or anything, BUT they do bring lots of goodies to expectant people. I think UPS men are kind of like Santa for grown ups. I mean, you should see how excited I get about checking on my front porch, or my mailbox, when I know something is on the way.
Recently I took a leap and ordered some mini moo cards for my photography "business". Go to their website...they have the cooooolest stuff. And I got these for pretty cheap too. I was super excited. Possibly squealing and giggling, when they showed up the other day. Makes me feel kind of important. *I've been practicing saying, "here's my card". Kidding.*

And another exciting couple of things came in the mail too. I recently set up a pro account on Flickr *you can find my stream on the side, towards the bottom* and got 50 free prints from snapfish. Ok...so as if getting something in the mail can get any more fun? Getting something I didn't have to pay for? It's like catnip for people or something.

And one more little present to me. *I never order stuff, btw...unlike this post makes it sound.* I found these really cool hanging wire picture frames on a site called photojojo.com. I thought they were pretty cool, and way more interesting than a traditional frame. I think the only problem is that I forgot I own 2 children when I ordered the frames (pictured above). You should have seen their eyes light up at all the possible methods of tearing them off the walls and doing damage to the house and/or each other.

I could literally see the wheels turning in Merrick's head. I had to strategically place them over a nightstand to protect them from the scavengers. So far so good, they are still hanging and no one has been injured. And I am kinda feeling like I was on Santa's "nice" list. So feel free to mail me something anytime. I'm not picky. ;)

Vengeance...sort of.

Around this time last year Billy and I ran a local race together. I recall, um, barely finishing. For a girl who loves to run, and has been running since college...I was pretty not happy. It did not matter that I had just had a baby 8 weeks before.

Billy and I ran this race again together just last weekend. This time? I finished a whole 9 minutes faster than last year. I felt much better.

My hubby was excited for me, and didn't even grumble...much. He even tweeted about my 1st place finish in my age group, and that I got first place female from our county.

I was super excited about my little medal, and the cool plaque that they gave me. I realized, though, that as exciting as all that was...I'm still just "mom" when I get home. My kids promptly tried to eat my medal, and the plaque? It's already collecting dust in the closet.

I'm hoping maybe one day my kiddos will be impressed with their mother's running "career", but for now? They're just interested in what's for breakfast when I get home from a race. ;)

Traveling

Traveling as fast in one direction as she can go before she has second thoughts & goes back to doing the same old stuff. / Story People

I found this quote recently. I feel like maybe it's more about what I'd like to do, than what I'm actually doing. I don't want to miss out on the opportunities in my life because I'm scared...mostly scared of failing. Scared when it comes to being a wife, mom, friend, photographer, runner, child of God. I think the real failure would be the not even trying. So...here goes nothing.

Check out more shots at Communal Global and 3 Boybarians

Seriously?

Although I'm not sure why...I was surprised the other day to see this little blond head sticking out of his bedroom window, during an alleged nap-time.

It was Labor Day last week...Billy was home from work, and I thought the entire family was napping. I am not a napper, so I decided to go outside and work with my camera. I heard strange noises, and after seeing nothing I ignored them and kept on about my business.

A few minutes later I noticed him. He didn't see me at first, until he heard the yelling. I don't think he can actually figure out how to get out of the window...since he can only pull the top half down. But...I have said those words before and he has made me a liar.

So I had Billy fix it up like Fort Knox. He put a stick in it (on the outside) to keep him from sliding it open, and tie-wrapped the locks closed.

Let's see you try and get out now, mister. No, really...please don't. I don't want to have to up the ante with iron bars. ;)

The Tutu, and Leaves for Lunch

I usually just snap random shots of my kids. I'd never actually thought to try an actual photo shoot with them.

I have noticed in the past, that sneaking up on them is the best option. I'm getting lots of practice with candids, which are my favorite anyway.

Usually when I do pull out the camera, and they notice, all hints of what I was trying to document disappear. I start to see the back of heads. Hands go over faces. Children run screaming...ya know the drill.

I have always wanted some girly shots of Tirzah. Since a lot of my shots of her include some farm equipment her brother owns. So the other day we donned the tutu and went outside on the front porch. It went pretty well considering it was nap time, Merrick was trying to tackle her, and she never stops moving for .5 seconds. Oh, and that she was eating leaves while I was shooting. But everyone needs their fiber, right?

(The 2nd shot is my pick for the Paper Mama photo challenge)