Lucky

I'm not much of a believer in "luck"...but I figured I'd dedicate this special 999th blog post on this here blog to one couple whose wedding my sisters and I were able to shoot last weekend. It ended up being a rainy day for their wedding, which in relation to my title, is supposed to be good luck. I don't know about all that, but I do know that a couple who starts their marriage off by washing each other's feet and praying together probably knows what makes a marriage last...and it's not luck.

These guys just seemed so comfortable and right for each other...even despite the change of plans at the last minute, moving the ceremony indoors...you could tell that they know what's important about their big day wasn't where they said "I do", but how they plan on carrying that promise out as they move through life together.

Another thing that stood out as we spent our day catching their memories, was the support and smiles of their families. It is always a nice surprise at a wedding when you get to work with a family who just seems to stinking happy for their newlyweds. (No, it's not always a happy occasion...as a photographer there are those weddings...the ones where you kind of cringe at the family friction. Not the case here. It was such a great atmosphere.) We felt welcomed, and it was easy to join in smiling with these guys.

The two of them have left for their honeymoon, but I have a feeling from watching them together on that "lucky" day, that it's going to be a long time before the honeymoon is over. Wishing the happy couple the best, and many more years of washing each others feet, and never forgetting "they do".

It's Always Somebody

There are not many photo ops with me and all 3 hooligans. Even fewer where at least one person isn't doing something ridiculous. In this case, Jericho decided that it was the perfect opportunity to pick his nose.

He's such a little rat. He is way smarter than I give him credit for (I think), and loves to pretend like he doesn't really know he's causing a problem. He's all "oops...I didn't realize my brother and sister were watching the TV I just turned off", or "oops...I didn't really mean to drop that toy you were looking for off the balcony", or "oops...I didn't realize you wanted me not to pick my nose while you are taking a picture". Ah well...he does tend to get away with such nonsense, but mostly because we can't keep a straight face. It's hard to discipline someone when you can't stop laughing. ;)

Super Hoodie

It's that time of year again. The time of year where I put on a hoodie and don't take it off until May. Well, I do take it off to sleep, but I replace it with 14 blankets. Ok, it really hasn't been that cold yet, honestly, and this weather has been awesome to run in after the soupy humidity I ran in all summer. But I get cold pretty easily. So does Merrick. I blame it on our lack of insulation. Jericho sweats like a pig unless he has zero clothes on. Which is why you always see pictures of him in his diaper...but I digress.

With that chill, however, comes one of my favorite holidays: Halloween! I LOVE holidays that revolve around candy and funky colors, in case you hadn't noticed yet. (Valentines Day is another fav. I don't care if Halmark made it up. Why hate on an excuse to eat chocolate?) I always love Target's holiday displays...they really get you in the spirit of whatever holiday it might be. Although occasionally they're a bit early. This stuff has probably been up since Memorial Day at least. Christmas will be up any minute I'm sure.

This weather, the Halloween displays, and my hero-the-hoodie, really make me want to bake pumpkin something. (And I don't even bake.) I'm thinking maybe some paleo pumpkin muffins that my kids and husband won't eat. ;)

Cousins!

My sister Amanda is here, visiting for a week or so while her husband is doing some military training. It's been fun to visit with this little baby again, too!

She is such a sweet little lady, and my kiddos can't remember that Jericho was ever that little. (Well...he wasn't THAT little. At two months she is about at the same size as Jericho was at birth.) They are pretty obsessed with her.

It's fun watching them play, although we do have to play bodyguard for Judah now and then. In light of the fact that Jericho was never this small, Jericho is also built like a tank. These Barron babies of mine aren't used to a delicate style of baby. ;)

Slowdown Sunday

We were able to spend a lot of time with my family this weekend. My sister and her husband are back in town, and my mom wasn't globe trotting like she usually seems to be. ;) So we had a lot of chance to just hang out, and relax. There is so much going on around here these days, that it was really nice to just sit outside, enjoying the fantastic weather we had this weekend, and not really DO anything.

Except maybe play a little piano...

And work on our stunt horse (uh...giraffe?) riding...

Be strung up by your ankles by the aunties...

And eat a popsicle (or two hundred) with Mamoo. (The hooligans always know Mamoo has popsicles and gum).

The hooligans partied hard with their aunties, as you can tell by Tirzah's hair, and had a great wrestling match (reminiscent of Nacho Libre, complete with cliff dive) with PawPaw. (Disclaimer: No babies were actually put into any ovens, and that oven wasn't on. But aunties occasionally get out of hand, you know.)

We are headed into what will be another chaotic week, filled with school and foster care training and capped off with shooting a wedding on Saturday. I'm kinda tired just thinking about the week to come. So I won't. I'm just going to go finish screaming at the football game...which is yet another way we love to relax around here. Hope everyone survives Monday! ;)