The Hour

It is the hour to rend thy chains,
The blossom time of souls. ~Katherine Lee Bates

This Easter holiday holds more meaning than can be expressed with any picture or any fancy words I put here. Thankful, simply, that I am loved and given a chance by Someone who deserves so much more than I can give.

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. (Matthew 28:6)

This shot is for Simple as That, and Sunday Snapshot.

and Scripture and a Snapshot

From our blog:
http://bunchofbarrons.blogspot.com/

Matchy Matchy

One of my cousins who I spent a lot of time with growing up has recently moved back into the area. It's been fun to hang out again now that we both have kids. We grew up being in the same grade and doing a lot of things at the same time. This matchy-matchy has carried over into getting married and having kiddos. We literally got married one week apart (Billy and I on June 11th, she and her husband on June 18th).

We each have 3 kids, and the farthest apart our simultaneous pregnancies have been was about 4 months. This last round of kiddos were born 9 days apart, both just missing a holiday. (Hers was Christmas Eve, mine was the day after New Years) We've never been pregnant alone, which is kind of nice since we could always complain to each other. The only non-matching part of all this is that our kids are exact opposites in the gender department. She has a girl when I have a boy. This last pregnancy I joked when she found out what she was having (a girl) that I should just start picking boy names out. Jericho Hawk it was.

All this to say that it's fun to watch our little brood of kids be able to do some growing up together. As a kid my cousins were some of my best friends, and I loved being so close to them. This past weekend we went to my cousins church (Her husband is a student minister, an occupation my husband has also had...more crazy matchy-ness.) for their Easter egg hunt, and the kids all seemed to have a blast. I'm glad that our kiddos get to have fun together, and hope that the memories they make are as precious to them as they were to me.

Check out more shots at Oh Snap, Photo Friday, Fabulous Friday.

The last shot is for Give Me Your Best Shot, This or That, and Show Off.

In the Instant

Ever since I got an iPhone last summer, I've had so much fun taking pictures of our everyday moments. Stuff I wouldn't have caught lugging my DLSR around. I love that thing, don't get me wrong. But it's not going to the grocery store and on walks with me.

Some of these moments may seen uninteresting to the outsider, but to me they are priceless little square reminders (well, most of them are square anyway) of the days I spend makeup-less, in sweats with my hair in a ponytail and up to my elbows in kiddos and crazy times.

It's not always fun and cuteness squared...there are lots of iMessages sent to my hubby saying I'm currently pulling my own hair out, or reporting someone's latest tantrum or absurd stunt, and begging him to leave work before someone (probably me) runs away from home. But it's all worth it, and even the cray-cray with them is something I'd prefer over working 9-5. (Ok, that's true most of the time.)

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

Check out more shots at Wild Wonderful Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday,

Something Borrowed

I recently convinced my little sister to let me borrow one of her lenses (an 11-16mm/2.8 Tokina). I love my 50mm/1.4 ohsomuch, but wanted to play around with something a little different in case I ever happen to have enough money to buy another lens ever again. So. Expensive.

I love the wide angle look that this lens gives, and definitely want to go more wide angle next time I get a lens. (This particular lens doesn't exactly see eye to eye with my Mark II since it's full frame, but I could make it work at 15-16mm.) It was fun to play around with and get a different perspective on my kiddos playing.

Getting a different perspective is usually a good thing, in photography or whatever. Shaking things up and changing things around makes you see things in a way you might have previously missed. Getting down on the kids' level and opening up my eyes (or my lens) always makes me see them as the precious little people they are.

I realize that these sweet kiddos aren't even mine to keep, but I'm just borrowing them for a time; they're a precious gift I've been entrusted with. With a new perspective comes a renewed sense of how important it is to  teach them constantly, be patient with them always, and love them fully. They aren't going to be little forever, but the lessons and the love that I pour out on them now needs to last them a lifetime.

Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.  

Proverbs 22:6

The third shot is for Simple as That, and Sunday Snapshot.

The last shot is for Scripture and a Snapshot

Going Cold Turkey

So this week I decided to bite the bullet and actually put a serious effort into potty training Tirzah. I mean, I have so much free time on my hands, I could use a little excitement in my life. 3 kids just isn't cutting it.

So most of this week we haven't really gone anywhere. Just been hanging out here, playing in the yard, and running back and forth to the bathroom. Not sure how most people do potty training, but I do what I call the insanity method, where you just go cold turkey on the diapers. She's not allowed to wear diapers again and she knows it, not even at night. I did this with Merrick and he was good to go in about 3 days, he never wore another diaper and has had maybe 3 accidents at night total. But I'm not even gonna admit how many times I've looked longingly at the diapers in the closet.

So far she has had a little bit harder time than Merrick, but I've heard girls have a harder time potty training. She is making progress though, and was accident free last night and most of today. She has managed to pee on me more times than I'd like to admit, though. Always on my feet too. Awesome. While watching American Idol the other night, someone mentioned having an alter ego, and I found myself angrily wondering what they needed an alter ego for. They weren't even getting peed on all day.

I know it'll be worth it since I'm not paying for diapering two butts...one is plenty, and J has a few more years in diapers before I'll be doing this again thank goodness. But for now, duty calls...if anyone needs me I'll be running back and forth between the bathroom for the next few days.

Check out more shots at Oh Snap, Photo Friday, Fabulous Friday.

The last shot is for Give Me Your Best Shot, This or That, and Show Off.