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Kids for sale. Helpful for scaring away intruders. Energetic (don't sleep) with simple tastes (only pb&j). Female has been known to bite when threatened or just for fun. Mother is funny white girl, father has ADHD.

Disclaimer: I love my kids...but it's been one of those days already, ya know? Hoping we all make it till Daddy gets home! ;)

Big Sparkley Dress

I have to give Pinterest credit for this big idea...letting my 3 year old wear my wedding dress (deemed the "big sparkley dress" by Tizzy) out in the yard for a photo shoot. But that dress has survived a trash the dress session in a lake, so I think it was up for the challenge.

She was more than willing to model it for me. Saying she couldn't wait till she was bigger and it fit her. Oh girl, don't you dare get that big just yet. I know it'll be here before I know it...but this practice run made me emotional enough.

She is all sassy drama and spunk. Whatever man is brave enough to attempt to tame the beast better be a calm, patient, laid back kind of man. (Maybe with a personality a little like the guy who married her sassy, dramatic mother?)

It was a bit scary how comfortable she was in all those yards of white satin. But those chubby, baby girl arms sticking out of it, and that crazy, summer heat-curled hair topping it all off reminded me that I still have a few years yet where this fierce little warrior princess, as we like to call her, is my responsibility. Always needing her hand held wherever we go. One day she'll be holding hands with some guy I surely don't approve of and Billy surely wants to use his shotgun on...but thankfully today is not that day. She's still mine. In all her 3 year old drama queen's glory.

And thankfully, as you can see, Spiderman is always nearby to keep an eye on her. Goodness knows she needs it.

The first shot is for The Paper Mama.

Hi Ho...

I haven't really tried to play a lot of board games with my kiddos. I guess I'm not so great at sitting still and playing a game myself. (I've always hated games like Monopoly. It takes hours to finish. Don't even get me started on the game Risk. I start fidgeting after about 20 minutes.) I see that this character trait has also been passed down to one of the hooligans in particular...

Merrick, bless his little Thomas the Tank Engine undies, could barely even stay in the room, let alone play the game. He loved the game, don't get me wrong...he just kept forgetting he was playing it I think. ;) He kept getting distracted by Jericho (who was playing in the other room with Billy), or the window, or sock lint, or anything. He's a distracted kind of guy, but he's Merrick and he keeps life interesting.

Tirzah did a great job too. She is pretty good with the counting, as long as you are counting to "4". It didn't matter what number she spun, she always put 4 cherries into the bucket. She can count some and knows a lot of her numbers by sight...so I'm not sure, but I think this was just a ploy since she won both rounds.

We actually lost the spinner, so I downloaded a "spinner" app. We're so high tech around here. Our TV may be from when I was in college, but we know how to make use of an iPhone by golly. I really had a good time playing with the hooligans, and I think we all learned a little bit. Some of us learned more about counting, and some of us learned a little about sitting still. ;)

...beginning over

Nothing too terribly exciting happening today. Just looking forward to a chill week at home with my hooligans. I love the laid back ingredient of summer, mixed in with the warmth and sunshine...it's a comforting combination. I saw this quote and it really resonated with me. I feel like every summer I begin over. Stocked up on sunshine and ready to meet the rest of what this year will be filled with.

Color Me Rad

It's no secret that I love to run. Races are pretty expensive, but I always love doing them when I can. Recently my sisters and I heard of a race called 'Color Me Rad' that sounded like a lot of fun. Pretty much you start off fresh and clean in a white t-shirt, and you get color blasted/bombed/sprayed/splashed along the way so that you finish up the 5K looking something like this:

Me and another one of my sisters are the serious runners in the family (5 sisters, 1 brother), but our younger sisters have all recently done a great job of picking up running a little bit themselves. They all did really great at the race, and we had so much fun getting ridiculously messy together. It was good for me to not take running so seriously for a minute I think. ;)

Since "race" is a term I use very loosely for this event...they were serving funnel cakes and french fries. *gasp* Not a banana or a bagel in sight. Also not a timer, mile marker, or a Garmin...and hardly any runners in shorty-shorts. I only was twitching a little at the thought of running  just 3 miles. It flew by, we were having so much fun. Me and Amanda (my sister who shares my "border collie" syndrome) joked about making a second loop, but got no takers on that one.

A few of our cousins also ran it with us, so that just added to the fun. My poor hubby was relegated to stroller/hooligan duty, and did a great job of keeping them clean until they spotted their aunties and needed to be held. I'm not sure if this race is going to be an annual event or not, but I can definitely see us making a habit out of this. Runner or not, this was a not-too-shabby way to spend a Saturday morning.

Check out more shots at Simple as That and Sunday Snapshot 

The last shot is for The Paper Mama 

Something Old, Something New

It's no secret that I love photography. I always tell my husband, Billy, that I feel like I see things through a viewfinder. I'm always composing shots in my head, and can't remember the last time I went a day without taking a picture. I love to document every goofy thing my kids do, and it's such a part of our lives that they even remind me to take a picture if I don't do it first.

So recently when I went away for a few days with my girlfriends, Billy surprised me with these antique cameras when I got home. He had them all cleaned up and lining the mantel. He had gotten these from his grandfather as a kid, and had them sitting around his room in his parents house for a long time. Little did he know that those cameras would earn him serious brownie points with his future wife one day.

I decided to let the hooligans model them for me so I could take some pictures of them. And no kiddos or cameras were harmed in the process. (There are actually 8 cameras (one is a video camera)...but we only took pictures of a couple of them. I'll have to take pictures of the others later once we get them set up/displayed.) The kiddos loved getting to play "mommy" for a little bit...and kept asking me where "the button" is. They already know how to take shots with my iPhone, guess they need to be educated on how to use a real shutter button. ;)

I'm so excited about these. None of them are actually useable that I know of (but I will do a little research to be sure...how fun would it be if I realize one or two of them are usable? Christmas in July people.), but when it comes to cameras, the more the merrier in my opinion.

Check out more shots at This or That and Show Off.

Best Pals Beach Trip

I had the awesome opportunity to go on a beach trip with some of my best friends in the whole world this past weekend. I got home last night and have currently been launched right back into crazy hooligan land. I don't have a lot of time to talk about the trip but just wanted to say I had so much fun...and am so grateful for these girls.

We had so much fun, and I felt like we picked up right where we left off when we all got married and scattered around the country. We may have hubbies or babies now, but it's good to know that through all the changes we still have this solid bond and special circle of friends.

We layed on the beach, we laughed until we cried, we cried, we ate, we shopped, we slept late and just like old days...we all had to sleep in the same room so no one missed the good middle of the night chats. It kind of felt like a puzzle you've put together a million times before...we all just fit right back together and didn't miss a beat. I don't think you could ask for more in a group of girlfriends.

I'm sorry the trip is over, and we are already chatting about planning our next trip together. (This time around it had been 7 years since we were all together at the same time.) We realized that was far too long to not see each other...so we are looking forward to Best Pals Beach Trip 2015! ;)

 

The first shot is for Tones on Tuesday, Communal Global, Sweet Shot, and Happiness Project

Happy Hurdles

The last few weeks around here have been ridiculously busy. We've had weddings and birthdays and an upcoming vacation for mommy to get ready for. I've had lots of hurdles...happy hurdles...between me and a little break without kids or hubby. (I will miss them terribly though, have no fear.) Me and some of my best pals in the world are going to spend a few days together at the beach. What. Up.

But before I leave the blog-o-sphere for a few days...I wanted to put up some shots from a wedding my sisters and I just shot. This couple was so...much...fun. We also did engagement shots for them, and they are just great. We were thrilled to be apart of their big day! So much energy and love and heat (it was an outdoor wedding on the hottest day on record in the history of ever...even for this girl, who stinking loves that kind of weather). But somehow these guys still managed to look smokin' hot and make sure everyone had a good time!

Wishing these guys the best as they kick start their new life together! And wishing myself the best while I lay on the beach for the next few days. ;) Catch y'all when I get back! 

Check out more shots at Simple as That and Sunday Snapshot 

Warrior Princess

Monday was a very important day around here. Our little girl, our crazy, spunky, feisty, little Tirzah Shae turned 3. The three years with her have been full of everything from joy to wanting to pull out my own hair. She is exhausting and a total joy all in one compact little bundle of energy and sass.

We had such a fun day with her. We woke her up singing happy birthday (and had a brief morning meltdown...typical) and watched a video her daddy sent her from work wishing her a happy birthday. We went to the gym, watched a princess movie, and as soon as Billy got home we went to the "moth" (mall) to get her ears pierced.

I hadn't told her it might hurt a little, and if you were watching her you wouldnt have known it hurt a little. She briefly stuck out her lip and looked a little confused, but then proceeded to show her earrings to anyone who would look. She is our little warrior princess, a tough cookie who loves lipgloss and doesn't let anyone push her around.

After the "moth" trip we went to chick-fil-a and then to get ice cream. We let her pick whatever toppings she wanted...and there was no topping left behind. We came home and watched her new movie from her Mamoo (Tangled) and daddy painted her nails. We are so blessed to have her in our lives. We couldn't be more proud of you sweet baby girl. Love you more every day! Happy birthday!

Check out more shots at This or That, Show Off , and Wordless Wednesday.

Ballin'

My youngest sister has recently gotten very much into bowling. Hooligans had never been so we decided it would be fun to try. Giving my children hard, extremely heavy objects to throw around seems like a good idea to all of you, no? Tizzy couldn't figure out quite what it was called, so just went with "ballin'", which she also deemed herself very good at before she'd even tried.

We signed up for the kids bowl free program (www.kidsbowlfree.com) cuz, um, FREE, (you just pay shoe rental) and you can't really beat entertaining 2 kids for 2 hours for $3. (Tizzy was too small for any of the shoes...so they didn't charge us for her.) Good thing, cuz if she was a paying customer they might have asked her to leave.

Merrick did pretty well. He kind of had a sideways fling-type approach to the game. And he also liked to help out fellow ballers by balling for them when they least expected it. He's like the little bowling fairy...leaving gifts of gutter balls to deserving patrons. He's so sweet.

Tizzy, my little princess with claws, decided that kicking the solid 6 pound bowling ball was the best way to get 'er done. The first go round of kicking led to tears because she stubbed her toe. The rest of the kicks were most likely to make the bowling ball pay for daring to stub her toe. Further evidenced by the fact she didn't ever bother to stick around to see what happened AFTER she kicked the ball down the lane.

Stubbed toes and stolen turns aside I think they loved it. They have requested to go ballin' again in the near future. And since it adds some variety to all our pool-related activities I say why not?

The first shot is for Tones on Tuesday, Communal Global, Sweet Shot, and Happiness Project

Wild and Free

In the midst of the summer heat, these blooms are strong and vibrant. So it is with people who choose to be free. You might not find yourself in the best of circumstances, but you can still choose to bloom...choose to be free. Thankful today for the freedom I have in this country, and in my salvation.

"All good things are wild, and free." -Henry David Thoreau 

Check out more shots at This or That, Show Off , and Wordless Wednesday. 
The fourth shot is for Texture Thursday.

Cannonballs and Pool-Induced Comas

We've been having a bit of a heat wave the last several days here in Virginia (and lots of other places I'm sure). I looove the hot weather, but I know it's recently created several really intense thunderstorms in the area that have left a lot of people without electricity. Not fun anytime, much less fun when it's 100 degrees outside and you have no a/c. Thankfully we never lost power for more than several hours (one of the times it was overnight...so the kiddos didn't even notice) and have had the pool nearby to keep us cool.

The kiddos are becoming big-time fish this summer. Merrick has been spotted...*gasp*...going under the water on his own. I try not to push the kiddos too hard into these things...I figure with my gentle encouragement/support they will do these new things when they are ready. Sure enough, he decided it was time to go under the water like he sees daddy doing. He is also loving jumping into the pool. Preferably into Aunt Abba's arms...who often goes to the pool with us. No way I'm taking 3 kiddos to the pool alone when one of the kiddos has to be held the entire time and is kind of like trying to hold onto a fish. Babies are so slippery. But, I haven't lost one yet...try as they might to wiggle away.

Tirzah is pretty brave too as far as the water goes. She often face plants and ends up under the water...she's not the most graceful of little humans at this stage of her life. She just sputters and keeps going though. She prefers being launched across the pool (between me and her daddy) like a cannonball to actually jumping in.

So grateful for the warm sunshine, cool water, and the resulting exhausted hooligans. Nothing quite like that been-swimming-all-day sleep.

The third shot is for Tones on Tuesday, Communal Global, Sweet Shot, and Happiness Project