Welcome!

I love sharing my life with you on this little blog. Thank you for stopping by! I re-size all my pictures for the web, making them unsuitable for print. If you come across a picture that you would like a copy for printing, please just let me know. I'll be glad to send one your way!

Snow day!









Took the kids sledding today--David pulled them behind the jeep in the church parking lot. We weren't the only ones with that idea. There were several other families from church there. (One family even ran extension cords so that they could make hot chocolate without leaving!) It was a lot of fun. I thought you might like to see some pics! I might post more later, but these are reduced for the web and ready to go! Enjoy!

Every time




It seems like every time I have pending work, Lance gets sick!! Wonder if he's trying to tell me something? :) At bedtime last night, he had a pretty bad headache. Gave him motrin, laid down with him, soon all was better and he went to sleep. At 2:30 this morning, Ty came in to tell us that Lance was sick and crying in his bed. We both jumped up and ran to him. Immediately I knew he had a pretty high fever. Sure enough--103.2. He gagged several times, cried and had a bad headache in addition to the fever. Gave him motrin, laid down with him, brought him to our room. He moaned and made noises the rest of the night. Of course, I heard every sound. This morning, I gave him tylenol in hopes of keeping the fever at bay. Sometimes alternating meds works well. When he came into the light, David noticed how red and swollen his right eye was. (It is hard to see in the pic and isn't terrible, just not normal.) Have no idea what is up with that. I have a call in to the doc and am waiting to hear. I wonder if he strained so hard when he was gagging that he did something? I hope that is all it is. He is really feeling ok right now--ok enough to finally let me cut his hair. In the middle of the haircut, the phone rang. I answered and was delayed for a few minutes. I came back to see that Lance had grown tired of waiting on me and decided to finish up himself!! He cut his bangs pretty short, so we had to go for an almost buzz instead of a reg. cut!! Oh well, I like his hair buzzed anyway! :) Here is a pic of him resting in his new papasan chair and watching tv. More later!

100 things about me

Ok... I saw this challenge on another blog. Thought it might be fun! I also plan to include this on my other blog as part of next week's challenge. (I'm supposed to introduce myself in my photo a day group.) You really should try this. It made me think about myself in ways I usually don't. So, here goes.


1. I am a Christian.

2. I love to take photographs, but hate to have my own taken.

3. I wish my kids still believed in Santa.

4. I would not have spent the $ for an SLR this year, but now can’t imagine life without
it. Thanks hubby!

5. Austin Powers movies make me laugh.

6. I am very organized about some things, and completely disorganized about others.

7. I have blue-green eyes.

8. I have naturally curly hair. My mom, dad, bro and sis do too.

9. My kids do not have curly hair. Yet. (mine got curly as an early teen)

10. I am a certified teacher.

11. I am a stay-at-home mom.

12. I have a master’s degree.

13. I have a child with a chronic illness—cystic fibrosis.

14. I hate cystic fibrosis!

15. I love the smell of fresh laundry.

16. I have champagne taste and a beer budget.

17. I root for the underdog.

18. I am indecisive, but have an opinion on nearly every decision made by someone else.
(this drives my husband crazy!)

19. I will turn 40 this year.

20. I have been married half my life. (to the same person)

21. My husband is my best friend.

22. I love my fleece pajama pants and wear them every day in the winter.

23. I don’t like bras.

24. I am a techno-gadget person.

25. I love to scrapbook, but don’t do it often.

26. I like to watch sports in person, especially if one of my kids is playing.

27. I never watch sports on TV.

28. I am not a morning person.

29. I need to be alone a little while everyday.

30. My taste in music is very eclectic.

31. I like to be in control, but not responsible.

32. My favorite color changes with my mood, but is usually red or green.

33. Today it is green.

34. I live in the same town I was born and grew up in.

35. I have never lived all alone.

36. I like to read and am fast.

37. I am the one in the family who programs the VCR.

38. I love to hold babies, especially mine. (When they were little, I could hold them all day!)

39. I can’t stand professional wrestling or monster trucks.

40. My favorite drink is Diet Dr. Pepper.

41. I like only one kind of coffee, which I have to ask my parents to send me because it isn’t sold in my town.

42. I don’t like to pick the restaurant.

43. I read owner’s manuals.

44. I love to use my crock pot.

46. I am stubborn.

47. I like to be right. Always.

48. I am a good speller.

49. I take naps on Sundays.

50. I hate to clean but I love a clean house. (do you see a problem here?)

51. You can’t beat a good foot rub.

52. I am kind.

53. I usually resist change but like the change once it is made.

54. I have a tendency to over-think things.

55. I am a procrastinator of unpleasant or boring tasks, and sometimes even things I like.

56. I don’t receive gifts well.

57. My husband is my biggest supporter. He thinks I can do anything.

58. I love #57!

59. I feel satisfied when everyone in the house goes to bed on clean sheets.

60. I think families should have at least one meal together every day.

61. I don’t like to wait.

62. It makes me nervous to be watched.

63. I mess up when I am nervous.

64. I have never had surgery or a broken bone.

65. I love having 3 kids.

66. I am terrible about writing letters, cards and thank-you’s.

67. I like to watch movies—all kinds.

68. I have a lock on my closet door.

69. I have been known to use that closet to hide clutter.

70. I don’t like unfinished projects.

71. I tend to work and work at something until it is finished, perfect even—often at the
expense of other important things. —this list is driving me crazy!

72. I almost never show cleavage.

73. I have cleavage.

74. I wouldn’t have cleavage if I would lose 20 lbs.

75. I started worrying about the “empty nest” when my youngest started first grade.

76. I like to be taken care of, but only by my husband.

77. I am a homebody.

78. I would like to travel more.

79. I am a paradox—no wonder my husband has trouble figuring out what I want.

80. I never go places without make-up on but will drive the kids to school in my pjs.

81. I have never gone on a real diet.

82. I will not lose 20 lbs. unless I do go on a diet.

83. I have never colored or permed my hair.

84. I cut my husband’s and both sons’ hair, but have no training to do so.

85. I am not superstitious but felt guilty about missing our “good luck” black-eyed peas
on Jan. 1.

86. I always have my toes polished, but never my fingers.

87. I pray every day for a cure for cystic fibrosis.

88. I can’t carry a tune.

89. I wish I could.

90. I sing loudly in the car when I am alone.

91. I am picky.

92. I have this terrible feeling that I might leave something important off this list.

93. I have never changed a tire.

94. I have a tendency to notice the details but not admit it.

95. I am a side-sleeper and always use 2 pillows.

96. I think every kid needs at least one “fan” at every event.

97. I like the show “Desperate Housewives”.

98. I’m a little embarrassed about #97.

99. I tend to eat one thing at a time until it's gone. Then I move to the next food. Always have.

100. I won’t hand wash dishes unless I have latex gloves.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

It's here... 2007! I hope it is a blessed year for all. We have just enjoyed being at home today, sort of recuperating from the weekend. David and I went to see the Cowboys play yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. We were in Dallas for a whoppin' 20 hours or so, just long enough to eat out at a relatively nice restaurant, sleep in a hotel and go to the game! We spent hours in traffic, both before and after the game, so that ate up a lot of our time there. It was supposed to be a "weekend" away. Why does it never seem to work that way?? Neither of us had been to an NFL game, so it was a new experience for us. I wish I had pictures to share, but I didn't take my camera into the stadium. After a very long walk from the parking lot, we came upon a sign that said "No backpacks, camera bags, large purses allowed in the stadium". Of course, my camera was in a camera bag inside my backpack that was also holding my fairly large purse!! Rather than risk it after walking the entire way there, I decided to head back to the car. David went on in so he wouldn't miss the kick-off. (He has a thing about not missing the kick-off--it would totally ruin the game if he had missed it!) I left all in the car, except my purse. I was really wishing I had taken our little point and shoot. At least that way, I would have some pictures to show for it! Our seats were pretty good, especially when you consider that I had no idea what to look for in the way of seats! It would have been nice if the 'boys had won, but we enjoyed being there anyway. We got back in time to watch the ball drop with our kids and then to bed. It had been a long day.

Anyway, HAPPY 2007!!!



Thought you might enjoy a pic of Jamie and Nathan. Can't believe how grown up they are. Jamie has a new haircut and color for her new job/career!! Nathan is in college at OCU, with plans to go on to dental school. We really enjoyed our time with them, although it was short. With her hair like this, I thought she and Hadley looked less alike. You can still tell they are related, though... Anyway,happy Thursday!
Sometimes I really wish I knew more about html... I just upgraded my blog and lost my header image. Finally got that back in, but can't figure out how to get rid of the title under it now. Oh well. Maybe I can figure it out someday! ***edited to add: got it figured out!! :)

Merry Christmas!!






































Well, it is officially here! My side of the family was here for Christmas Eve and we celebrated here at our house. It was really nice to be together. Everyone was able to come for the presents and we enjoyed our time immensely! The kids had a ball--I think the favorite gift for that part was Shock Tanks! Yes, shock tanks! They are remote-controlled tanks where you shoot at the other tank. When you hit the other person's tank, the remote gives that person a shock! It's really funny!! You guessed it--that gift was from BJ and Ginny! Everyone (except Mema--pacemaker!!!) gave it a try. It was funny to watch.

This morning, Santa brought Heely's for Hadley and Lance--basically skateshoes, a pool table and a foosball table for all. Tyler got money to go toward his PS3. I think he now has plenty of money to get it, as soon as they are back in stock. The pics aren't all great, but good enough to show you the chaos and fun happening around here. I hope all who are reading have a wonderful, blessed Christmas spent with family and friends!!

Winter Wonderland??





Yikes!! The ice was really thick and there were a lot of trees with branches down around town. This one was the worst one I saw and was just around the corner from us. I'm very thankful it wasn't one of our trees, and I'm thankful that we cut that big cottonwood down earlier this year. It probably would have been on the house!

A little practice






with backlighting and a little practice reading! And this is our tree. Nice, huh?


Well, it's official. I have procrastinated to the point of panic. Today, we went out to try and get new pics for the Christmas cards that should have been done before Thanksgiving... I had taken some a few weeks ago, but wasn't really happy with them. Anyway, at least they had fun today. Tyler spit a big loogy? in a tree and they were having fun with it. Lance thinks Tyler is so funny. Hadley was acting like she was throwing up. I just kept snapping!

Tomorrow, I get to order cards, shop, prepare for the school parties, and try not to panic that I am nowhere near ready!!!







They really do love each other!! :) Every now and then, something wonderful like this happens and my heart overflows... Tonight I was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner and I overheard Hadley telling Lance about a book they were reading in English--The Hound of Baskerville. She decided to read a little to him. I just love that! Anyway, I grabbed my camera and started taking pics. These are not technically perfect--I was experimenting with flash, without flash and on selective focus. You can probably tell which is which! Anyway, it was really sweet.

And lately on emails and on blogger, I cannot use the apostrophe or forward slash. I do not know if it is my computer or their programs, but if you see mistakes, maybe it was not really my fault! :)

Guess what I saw this morning as I was coming home from taking the kids to school?? A deer! A big one! I would guess her head stood about 5 feet tall. Just seeing her in that odd setting reminded me of God's awesome creations. Sometimes I just get lulled into the daily routine and don't pay attention to all the incredible things He made! She was running frantically around on a street that enters our neighborhood. I followed her to my friend's street where she ran down around the cul-de-sac and back out. I called 911 and they had already received a call and had a crew on the way. I also called my friend to tell her what was going on--and of course, she didn't believe me at first! One of the neighbors on that street was standing out in his yard and the deer ran right past him. He just smiled at me and kept watching her! I hope she didn't end up on a busy street before animal control could get to her. I didn't want to see it if she did, so I quit following and came on home. I sure was wishing I had my camera!! I was using my phone, so I couldn’t use the camera on it… Weird, huh? You just never know what the day will bring!




Snow Day!! Can you believe it?? I took this pic through the front door--too cold for me! This is a Christmas wreath that was waiting to be hung and ended up covered with snow on the bench. Last week was warm--highs were in the 70's at least a couple of days. Today--no school due to snow! :) Gotta love weather in Texas! The kids were thrilled, to say the least. I think they had about 3 cups of hot cocoa before lunch. Hadley and Lance played outside a little this afternoon, and then Hadley went to the school with friends to have a snowball fight and then over to a house for hot cocoa and more playtime. Tyler, however, is bummed because he has the stomach bug today, of all days. He can't believe this is how he is spending his day off. I just hate that he's sick--partly because he is so miserable and partly because that stuff is almost impossible to keep from spreading through all five of us!

Anyway, we are enjoying our "gift" of today for the most part. You enjoy yours, too!
















Just dropped off the CD of my second official photo shoot... Yikes!! It's a little nerve-wracking! I was a little disappointed with the number of good shots that I got with this one. There were lots of factors--the baby wasn't very happy, the light was a little darker than I like, I totally didn't see my shadow in the pics on the LCD screen/preview and missed a ton of shots that way!!!, shoulda bumped the ISO up a bit for faster shutter speeds--kids move!, etc. Anyway, I really learned a lot from this shoot. Maybe after a few more, I will be more confident and will get a higher percentage of shots. These are about my faves from the whole thing... Hopefully the parents will be happy enough with these to make it worth their while in letting me come play. :) BTW--names changed to protect the innocent!



And Tyler is thankful for his new bed!! I may never get him out of bed now! Tyler has been sleeping on this crummy, old bed--i mean really crummy and old! Bj and Ginny got a new bed and donated their old one to Tyler. He loves it!! It is amazingly tall. It changes the way his whole room looks. The sheets aren't even ready to go on it and he is already laying on it and watching a movie. Thanks BJ and Ginny!!

Our Thanksgiving weekend was really nice. We ate with David's sister and family on Thursday and then had my side of the family over on Saturday. Can't believe that I didn't even get out my camera this weekend. I think maybe it was because I was busy cooking and cleaning... maybe next time!

Well, I am off to put those sheets on the new bed. Have a great week!

guess I'm finally back into the blog thing... Lance FINALLY did his thank yous from his birthday party. ( I know, but I'm thinking better late than never at this point!) next hurdle--getting them delivered! Most of them were the traditional thank you--thanks for the gift, i really like it, etc. But these two really made me laugh!! Thought you might like to see them.
I have a new favorite group! Ever heard of Monk and Neagle?? They are a Christian duo and sing some Christian songs, as well as some love-type songs--with a folky sound. Just love them!! I heard their song-"Stars Would Fall-I'm Crazy" and fell in love with it. I bought the CD last night and love the rest of the CD too!! One song gave me chills when I listened to it the first time. It's incredible. It's called "Dancing with the Angels". AND--they are local!!!! I had heard the name, but didn't really know what type of music they did. But, I love it!! Their style is just awesome. I'm not really a fan of music on websites, but I might just have to include one of their songs on my blog--if I can figure out how to do it. Anyway, check them out. If you visit their blog, you can hear several of their songs. I hope they make it REALLY big!

More fun




Too much fun!

















The shoot yesterday was AMAZING! I just love newborns and Caroline was absolutely precious-12 days old. Her mother was beautiful and very photogenic, so that always helps. :) I think the pictures turned out nicely for a first try!! My friend went with me for moral support and ended up being so helpful. It took all of our hands to soothe her, change out props, clean up tee-tee and the other thing, etc. Naked means no diaper! I was so glad she went with me!! Thanks, Cody!! I also got to hold the baby quite a bit, which I wasn't expecting. But I loved that! She was really sweet. I tried, unsuccessfully, to get her big brother (2 yr.old) giving her a kiss. That was at the end of the shoot and Caroline was getting hungry and the big brother's kisses lasted a nanosecond, so I completely missed those shots! But, I learned a lot from this shoot:

  • Don't drink lots of coffee and skip breakfast the morning of a shoot.
  • Relax! Shaky hands don't get clear pictures!
  • Make a written list of poses to try. You will forget many things while you are there!
  • Take extra clothes. :)
  • Take extra backdrops
  • Put waterproof liners under EVERYTHING!
  • Bring a heating pad--naked babies get cold!
We were there about 2 hours and I took about 140 pictures. The morning light was really nice. These were all taken with natural light--no flash, etc. I have tweaked the better ones and saved about 25 poses, and a few slight variations on those poses. I then converted most of those to black and white, too, so the CD will have about 60 pictures on it. I have told them they are free to print any or all that they like. The CD will be theirs to keep. In return, I hope to use the pictures in my portfolio--and hers will be the first! Anyway, let me know what you think about these pictures. Hopefully, I will only get better from here!

Two posts in one day...


The other day, a photographer friend and I went hunting for this neat bridge we had heard about. I was hoping for a cool spot for Christmas card pics, but the sun was too dappled for that to work on a sunny day. Maybe on an overcast day--we'll see. Anyway, isn't this bridge just the coolest?? I had no idea we had one this neat in our town! We had lots of fun taking weird and wacky pictures. This particular one was taken while laying on the ground. Of course, my friend took a picture of me while I was doing that. I made sure she hit the good ole' delete button!

Can't believe how fast time flies!


Do you ever just look up and a month has past and you hardly realized it? I can't believe Halloween has come and gone and it is almost time for Thanksgiving! I have been working quite a bit lately--this time in kindergarten. We have talked a lot about Thanksgiving, food and relatives visiting... I'm so looking forward to all of that. I do hope to be able to slow down enough to enjoy the holiday. It has always been one of my favorites. I just love the warmth of friends and family surrounding you, without the commercialized gift-giving that comes with Christmas.

The kids have all been going ninety-to-nothing, which means that someone has to get them to their respective destinations! The boys have both just finished football, so we are down to soccer, basketball and volleyball for Hadley. 3 sports is easier to manage than 5!

Remember that photography class I was so pumped about? Turns out it was a disaster. The first night consisted of the history of film-hello! this is a digital class!- and odds and ends about the teacher's job--boring! When asked when we would get our cameras out, the response was "You won't need your cameras in class!" My friends and I filled out a "goals and objectives" sheet for the class in hopes he would adjust for us, but the second class was equally as worthless. I know about half of the people dropped. It really should tell them something... Anyway, I have continued to try and read and improve my skills and I get to try a newborn shoot tomorrow!! I really can't wait. A co-worker of my husband's just had a new baby and they have agreed to let me come and play. I know they are hoping I get some good shots, just as I am. If I do, I will try to share.

I did get this picture of Hadley while playing bball. I thought it turned out ok. I have not ever had much luck inside gyms. The lighting is really hard to figure out. But, this one might work. I just wish you could see the ball. She had just passed it. I got a shot just prior to this one where you can see the ball, but it isn't as good. Anyway, enjoy!

Hopefully, I will get back into more regular posts... Happy Tuesday!


Holy smokes... No time to post now, but just had to share this photo from today. We did have to play this huge kid afterall!!! And of course, he and Lance were matched up against each other!


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