Party of Five

swim star.

2009-10-05T12:31:00.004-05:00

She cheers. She plays piano. She likes to read, hang with her friends and play Barbies. But more than all of this, she LOOOOOVES to swim and swim fast. We decided this year to put her in a year-round competitive swim program and for the past month, she has been trying it out. As of last Thursday, we have committed to the full year. To be honest, I wasn't sure how she'd handle the pressure of it all, but even her coach is thoroughly impressed by her speed, her endurance and her strength and has expressed that L has unlimited potential in the pool. WOW. Due to her cheer schedule, she will have to miss the first meet which is a total bummer, but I can't wait to see her in action come November.

making the A team.

2009-10-05T12:04:00.005-05:00

As if there was any doubt, M made the 7th grade A volleyball team and they have had about three matches so far in which M has been on the court for all but one game. Hello...the kid rocks!!! I am so stinkin proud of how hard she has worked and how far she has come that I want to shout it from the rooftops! Her jersey says #1 for a reason people!! When I think about the past year and how insecure she was compared with the strong, confident kid she is right now, I know that every dime that was spent on all the volleyball programs and camps were so worth it. Way to go, M...you're awesome!

nine?!?!?!

2009-09-16T11:46:00.006-05:00

My little bitty, teeny weeny, boo bear is stinkin NINE years old!!! What the heck happened? I remember the day well when I found out I was carrying my second little girl and I was scared. Was there room in my heart for another little girl? Would I love her the way I loved M? Would they look alike or even like each other? Would M be jealous? Seriously, I was terrified. Most of my questions were answered on September 15th, 2000. Yes, there was more than enough room for this princess and no, I do not love her the same way I love M, they are not the same person so how could I? I love her for the smart, funny, beautiful, strong willed, determined drama queen she is. She is so much more like me than her sister is and while now this is a good thing, I am aware that may lead to friction when adolescence sets in but for now, I will enjoy that I "get" her. And in the spirit of honesty, I sometimes feel a little left out with how much of a Daddy's girl M is but I take solace in the fact that L is a Mommy's girl and balance is restored. Do I love her more, absolutely not, me & T make a point to love our children for the people they are and in the way that best meets their needs not with measurements of more or less because there is no limit to our love for each of them. I do have to say that though that all my children are cuddlers and I hope they always will be, L is my very sensitive, attached child who will wake up crying at 3:00 am if she didn't get her hugs & kisses. Now, the rest of my questions have answered themselves along the way with the answers being as fluid and ever changing as the girls themselves. They look absolutely nothing alike and as for getting along, they are at the age now when competition and jealousies, tattling and control have reared their heads and though I can't say that they are bffs 100% of the time, but at the end of the day, nobody better mess with M's little sister and that's exactly as it should be.

This year L's birthday list was short. Only a webkin and a cell phone though me and daddy decided she wasn't quite ready for the cell phone and she was ok with that. Instead, she had a list of birthday requirements in lieu of stuff. The first of which was that we were to have lunch with her at school and buy her classmates ice cream passes. Check. We were to have twirly pasta with salad for dinner. Check. Later, she wanted cupcakes for all her cheer friends at the end of practice. Check. For the Saturday following her birthday, she wanted to go out to dinner with both grandparents to Olive Garden but later decided on BJ's since the wait was more than an hour at the Olive Garden. Check.

She always reads the cards.

Probably her favorite gift, Granny finished the dress she has been working on for about a year taking great care to make sure it was perfect.

I love that C is in the background blowing too.

Then on Sunday, she wanted her cousins to come over and see "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and have cake, specifically, the Barbie cake she saw at a specific Kroger. Check.

The last on her birthday list are a slumber party which will wait until the end of Saturday morning football games and a girls' lunch at the Cupcake Boutique which will wait until Granny's knee is better.

tooting her flute.

2009-09-16T11:29:00.007-05:00

Both junior high school bands performed this past Friday evening at Tomball's annual Patriotic Night at the high school football game. You wouldn't know that behind that smile, she had learned a very valuable lesson about the function of a seat belt a short while earlier in the evening. Poor M decided to crawl into the back seat where her friends were to put her flute together and when I started to proceed through a stop sign, someone else ran it causing me to hit the brakes hard. Because she was sitting on the floor of the car holding her flute to her mouth, she flew forward into the center console busting her lip and jamming up her finger. Of course, we told her to just imagine what would have happened if I were going more than about 2 mph...very frightening, indeed.

The rest of these were not taken by me, but by either Chris or Keith (or both) while I was fulfilling my volunteer duties below and T was wrangling with the video camera and C in the packed stands. Thanks guys and I am sure you will all understand if I spare my readers the awesome pics you took of me. This is another T, a buddy of M and the son of the above mentioned Chris (and his lovely wife Julie)...

And here is M whose choice to wear pink Converse made identifying her on the field much easier for her dad...

So glad the guys got pics of this because from the field, all we could see where a bunch of folks marching around. What you can't see is that all three bands formed the shape of the continental United States...God bless America, we are truly blessed to live here.

Ahh, L and her friend, K who is little sister to the above mentioned T and daughter to the same Chris & Julie...having fun with initials yet??

rah. rah.

2009-09-05T13:38:00.004-05:00

She has added cheer to her list of favorite things though I am happy to report that swim still ranks higher, thank goodness. Today was the first official game for the Patriots and I must admit that seeing those teeny tiny boys in their huge football gear running around the field was priceless. It was clear that all the practicing they do paid off as they walked all over the opposing team though let's not forget to mention they had the advantage of all these sparkling cheerleaders to encourage them too!

I had only one shot left on my camera so I grabbed this one before we left. :)

time flies.

2009-08-31T10:30:00.003-05:00

Where did the first week of school go?? I can't believe we are already in the second full week and I truly hope that the entire year doesn't go by like this. During summer, I thought I couldn't wait for it to start and now I just want to hit pause for a little while. M is totally loving the freedom of junior high and has already gone to her first high school football game with several of her girlfriends. Volleyball try-outs are this week and while I know she is fairly confident she has worked hard enough and is more than good enough to make the team, she is still a jumble of nerves. As for L, third grade is awesome! This year, she is introduced to switching classes mid day which is great and she has already been invited and gone to a birthday party for a new friend at school. Lastly, C's first week was as eventful but not necessarily as positive. Beginning with the first day of school when he was accidentally put on the wrong bus and then the third day when he slipped in a puddle of water and landed on his head on the tile floor resulting in a lovely goose egg bump and bruise. By Friday, he was requesting to go back to his old school and to the loving arms of his fabulous Kindergarten teacher. I keep telling him it will get better and I know it will, but I can't help but think..."poor kid!"

cosmetic changes.

2009-08-31T09:52:00.004-05:00

UUUUGGGGHHH!!! She is getting to old for me now. She is officially in 7th grade, junior higher. When I told her she could start wearing make-up when she was in junior high, it was so far away but now here we are and in truth, later than for most as in this school district, 7th grade is the first year of junior high. So since I forgot to take pics of her this morning on her first day of school, I brought my camera with us when we went to the mall immediately after I picked up from school to Bare Escentuals for a lesson in make-up application (mom fully admits to being completely worthless in this department).
So many choices.

The perfect, neutral tones for M but with some sparkles to up the "girlie" factor a bit.

First, the expert applied and then M gave her best on the other side.

Of course, it was a teensy weensy bit too much for my taste, but I was surprised when M said it was too much for her liking too....Hallelujah!

I must having some sort of meltdown because did I get an "after" shot...no, I didn't.

off to a great start.

2009-08-24T09:28:00.014-05:00

The first day of school already? Yep. This morning went amazingly well with everyone up and moving and ready to go. Unfortunately, for the first time in her entire life, I completely forgot to take a pic of M on her first day of school. What the heck was I thinking? I don't know. It was so early when she left (6:55 am) and after she and Daddy pulled out of the driveway, I went on to start my day by stripping our bed when it hit me. I guess I'll just have to take a pic of her at the end of the day for a change. Needless to say, I did not make the same mistake with L & C. L was up and downstairs and dressed in the outfit she picked out for this day on the second week of summer within five minutes after her alarm going off.

We arrive safe & sound and with plenty of time to spare.

In the doors, no turning back now.

We started with C's class and I prayed that it would go well.

Sizing up the kids around him.

Prayers answered, I am soooo happy that this year C was far more upbeat than his Kindergarten year. He was all smiles all the way to school and even as we left, he was still grinning. The only heartbreaking part was that he wouldn't give me a kiss goodbye because as you can see in this picture, he is letting me know that there is a cute girl sitting next to him and I guess it's already uncool to kiss your mom in front of a girl. Off I go to cry.

Next we were off to L's class to get her settled in.

Nothing like having your mom snapping away while you try to not draw attention to yourself!

light play.

2009-08-19T22:05:00.003-05:00

Putting off some of the work I was supposed to do after feeling very uninspired which is never a good frame of mind to be in when proofing, I thought I would brush up on some lighting techniques. One that has notoriously given me trouble is short lighting. These are not quite technically correct, but I liked the general effect and mood of them. I can always count on L to provide me with ample tude to establish my desired mood...lol!
This one was definitely my favorite.
With this one, there was just too much help from the reflector which managed to change if from short lighting to broad which is the opposite of what I was going for (doh!).

a new location.

2009-08-17T10:13:00.006-05:00

I took my little man on a bit of a photo excursion this morning and we found a terrific location, ripe with possibilities from families to seniors to engagements, this place is awesome! Our fun didn't last long though, the heat and intensity of the Texas sun was too much to bear in the blink of an eye. No worries though, I got some great stuff and have plans to go out again in the warm evening sun in the not-to-distant future.

Even in full shade, it is very hard to get him to open his eyes so you can see those heart melting baby browns.

By this point, the sun was just too much and all I was getting were squints, no matter the shade.

The sun hid behind some clouds for just a couple minutes and I was able to get this one.

I had a trunk full of outfits for little Boo too, but given how hot she gets, I knew it was best to wait until my evening plans on another day.

coming up roses.

2009-08-10T14:39:00.003-05:00

So me & M worked really hard and spent more than I planned to on this rose blanket for a session I had planned with a 3 month old. It worked really well for my session but I wanted to see how versatile it would be for someone a bit older to try to get my money and time's worth out of it. Of course, I would prefer that my "model" wasn't wearing an orange sundress but as they say, beggars can't be choosers.

yup, seven.

2009-08-07T18:38:00.003-05:00

Oh my goodness, my little bitty boy isn't so little bitty anymore. I can hardly believe it has been more than seven years ago that everything I knew about parenting went out the window. Bringing home a little one swaddled in blue was the beginning of a brand new chapter like nothing I have ever experienced before. He is sweet and wonderful and inquisitive with a terrific sense of humor, but make no mistake, he is 110% boy. The minute he could speak, all the time and energy that had gone into decorating his room with sailboats and light houses proved a waste of time. All he cared about were cars, quite often falling asleep with a hot wheels in each hand. Today we took some quick shots of him in studio since I can't even think about going outside to shoot in this heat...yuck! Even this experience taught me a few things. First, I cannot do his hair like daddy can. Second, that he is a total ham in front of the camera with many of these poses being of his own design. And lastly, that he can still melt me with those gorgeous eyes, long lashes and huge dimples. He'll always be my baby whether he be seven or forty-seven.

abercrombie girl.

2009-08-07T18:31:00.005-05:00

Took some more pics of M today, she's growing up way to fast for me.

you can't have too many friends.

2009-08-07T17:48:00.003-05:00

Volleyball is a terrific place to make friends.
Cousins make good friends too!

Friends are friends no matter where they move to (this one happens to be in for the summer after moving to Qatar).

she has friends too ya know.

2009-08-07T17:45:00.003-05:00

Poor L just wants to be big like M so badly that she and one of her friends wanted to do what the big girls did too. How could blame them?? After demolishing L's closet for their fashion show, the girls decided on these two outfits.

peace be with you.

2009-08-07T16:11:00.005-05:00

M's latest trend is to have me take pictures with her friends when they come over and tonight we had three of them. The matching pajamas are not a new thing, M is truly an addict and has spread her addiction to quite a few of her friends too.

The "geeks"

And for some reason, they all feel the need to try to cram themselves into my pettiskirts which are designed for kids under about 5 years old!

bump.set.spike.

2009-07-29T15:35:00.006-05:00

Another Monday (even if they are being posted on Wed), another volleyball tournament until 9:30pm. M's game keeps getting better and better and she is getting proof of that with more court time. Her serves are now more consistent and powerful and in one game, she had 10 serves in a row not be returned! We are so proud of how confident she has gotten and can't wait to see her play for the junior high team this year along with her regular club tournaments.

girls being girls.

2009-07-24T13:38:00.003-05:00

Being a pre-teen, M has what seems to be a non-stop stream of girls coming in and out of our house. Now she has gotten it into her head that not only do we feed most of these girls but now she needs photo sessions with them too! Though you should know, I really don't mind either as it means I can actually spend a little time with my M from time to time. Here are the couple girls that were over the other day.

One thing these three have in common is that they all play volleyball, both at the school and in club together.

Happy bday to my little man

2009-07-23T21:38:00.005-05:00

Today my baby boy turned seven years old. Seriously, I want to just break down and cry. What right does he have to grow up so quickly?? To celebrate, Daddy took the day off work to spend it with him beginning with the unveiling of his first gift. When asked what he wanted for his birthday, all he would say is "the Mario cart from Academy." Earlier in the week, I snuck out and bought it and then we hid it in our bathroom to charge it up. This morning, C only thought that he and Daddy were going to see if they could buy one; he had no idea it was sitting in the driveway...
He opened up all the cards that were left in the driver's seat, making sure to read each one out loud.

But then it was time for a test drive...

This little cart lived up to all the expectations he had and then some!

After he rode for a while and let everyone else have a turn, it was time to go pick out a cake and go to the movies to see Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen in IMAX with Daddy. At first he wanted to go to Ihop for his birthday dinner, but then he changed his mind to Mommy's angel hair pasta with salad. The night before he'd had "Daddy's famous chicken" as they call it so the week was full of his favorite foods. Once dinner had a chance to settle, we lit up the cake, sang "happy birthday" and blew out the candles (a few times for photo opps).

By this point, Lola was pretty much birthdayed out.

Once C had consumed all he could stand of his pirate ship's bow, he dove right in to the birthday goodies from his sisters.They know him so well!

C and his loot.

He had a terrific day today, but I know that his favorite part was having Daddy almost completely to himself. Come Sunday, he will be in heaven when he, Daddy, Chippy & Papa have their boys' trip to see the Astros play the Mets!

be involved.

2009-07-10T10:42:00.005-05:00

It is so important for kids to be involved in some activity or sport that builds confidence and motivation. Studies (and admittedly, I rarely put a whole lot of stock in them) have shown that kids who are active are far less likely to be involved in drugs and alcohol or teenage pregnancy. I personally believe that more important than the activity is the involvement of the parent which is why everything I do professionally is scheduled around my children and their lives. I did not have children because it was convenient or "fit" with my life. They come before all else and so do their activities. On this (as with most else but mostly this) my husband and I agree completely. Is it expensive? Yes, but we find a way because all the material things they have been given do not remotely compare to the way they light up when M's serve goes over and becomes an ace or when L touches the wall to see that the next swimmer is no where near her or C gets his belts. These are the things we could not give them, it's something they earned for themselves and is priceless.
We took these pics yesterday for daddy's office and each of them expressed their pride in the idea that they would hang in his office along side his accomplishments because in all that daddy has done in his field, they are his greatest achievement (and mine too).

a very good season.

2009-07-09T18:15:00.002-05:00

I have known that she is determined when she sets her mind to something, I just had no idea just how determined she was until this swim season. Her goal was to win every freestyle event she swam and to earn high point swimmer in her age group. She worked that tiny little hiney off to get there, sometimes taking two practices a day on top of hour long private lessons by her own choosing. All that hard work certainly paid off, she won the event in each dual meet though fell short of first in divisionals. No matter, she got the four medals out of the five events she swam and she was satisfied. Add to that the ribbon she won in the fifth event was hot pink and she was one happy camper! As for high point 7-8 girl, she took that one by miles. At first she was a little offended when she would hear other parents tell their girls that if they worked hard like her, maybe they could beat her but after a long talk about how that was probably the best compliment she'd ever received, she learned to welcome those comments. Now that summer swim is over, you'd think she'd be relieved to have some down time to stay up late and get up when she felt like it but no, she misses swim and can't wait to start swimming competitively in the fall. Even the thought of three practices a week excites her. Wow. She's found her "thing" and I couldn't be prouder of what she's accomplished. Oh and I couldn't end this post without a huge thank-you to the best coach she's ever had, Coach Shawna. I know that without her support, encouragement, and tough love L would not have the season she had.

this one too.

2009-07-09T16:33:00.003-05:00

I think this is the last of the frames that are hanging around with no picture in it. There's nothing like one free & clear day to torture the kids with an all day photo session especially since yesterday was a day of room cleaning. With days like this, they'll be begging to go back to school!

Just a couple extras, cus my kids are so dern cute!

and this one.

2009-07-09T15:30:00.005-05:00

I have this problem with collecting frames and never filling them. I think this one dates back about 18 months and what's truly sad is that I bought the dress to match the frame and now she is about to outgrow it. Ok so here's the real dilemma. I have finally taken the pictures and as normal, now I can't pick one for the frame.

This one is going in my offiice for sure...

so i have this really cool frame.

2009-07-09T14:30:00.008-05:00

I bought this rockin frame at Ikea (love that place) and I had visions of putting the kids pics in it to mimic a photo booth. We all had so much fun shooting these that narrowing it down to seven was next to impossible!

practice, practice.

2009-06-24T09:41:00.004-05:00

Putting up the net in the backyard has been wonderful for M who struggled with getting her serves because she had no visual reference for whether or not the ball was in or out or even over the net at all. Well, 30 bucks solved that problem and now she is showing major initiative with wanting to be outside for at least an hour or so every evening working on serves and spikes and sometimes setting. I am so glad she has found her "thing." Now if I could just get her to be that enthusiastic about her flute...

Just a pretty one of my blue-eyed beauty..

now that's style.

2009-06-23T18:44:00.004-05:00

I just couldn't help but take a picture of this. I have no idea why she thought wearing the helmet would help her with her piano but who am I to doubt genius?
Clearly reading the music was not possible so instead of just removing the helmet, she only pushes it up...love it.

pneumonia.

2009-06-22T20:37:00.003-05:00

It started with a hacking cough that just wouldn't be quieted. Then we had the spraying bloody nose so bad that we didn't want him any where near his Sunday school class. Next came the 103 fever and I knew something was up so I immediately made an appointment for him to see his pediatrician. Dr. Rose (we love him) didn't even have to enter the exam room to diagnose him (he did of course, but it was more a formality), he said he could hear him up the corridor and already had the order for the x-rays sent as he had little doubt that we were dealing with pneumonia. I thought for sure it was just a mild case, I mean he seemed perfectly fine once the Motrin hit his system. Nope. Right middle lobe and if it got any worse, he would need to be hospitalized. The only good news was that it was bacterial pneumonia probably not contagious. The poor little man had taken a turn for the worse into the evening and for the next several days, it was a struggle to get my son that eats me out of house and home most days to finish two meals. We did our best to keep him hydrated and rested but the weight loss has been noticeable. He is finally now back to his normal self, but seeing him like this just broke my heart.

crumbs.

2009-06-22T20:31:00.002-05:00

I just thought this was hilarious. Obviously, I had too long a lens on the camera but I knew if I took the time to grab a shorter one, the moment would be lost so I made due. Who says dogs aren't smart? All three of ours know exactly whose bar stool to sit near for maximum food dropage.

no more pencils, no more books.

2009-06-22T20:25:00.005-05:00

I know, I know, it has been forever but with L swimming at least 6 days a week, sometimes 7 and my being expected to proof a minimum of 300 pictures a week from each meet, coupled with C being very, very ill (I'll get to that later), I wasn't giving a whole lot of thought to taking pictures any more pictures than I had to. These were taken right before C man got sick at the end of school party of one of his school chums. As you can see, I have been in a strange b&w mood lately. I just feel more nostalgic when I look at a black & white image.

This one just makes me smile :-)

And so does this one...

Field day...Oh The Places You Will Go.

2009-06-10T17:40:00.008-05:00

A little late on these, but hey, with all the swim team craziness, who has the time to blog?

The theme for field day this year was Dr. Seuss's book, "Oh The Places You Will Go" and while everything was super cute and the kids had a great time, I was slightly bothered by the metamorphosis of today's "field day" from the field days of my childhood. When we were kids (and I am not that old folks), field day was about competition and sportsmanship with everyone receiving a participation ribbon if they in fact participated the entire day and each event had winners who were awarded place ribbons for their athleticism. What happened to those days? Maybe I am in the minority when I say that a healthy sense of competition is good for kids. Life is full of competitiveness whether we like it or not and kids have got to be prepared for it. Anywho, as I said, all was awfully cute and the day though hot was a success in the eyes of all the students. The cool thing is that I really didn't feel like taking pictures and daddy took the day off to be at both the little one's field days and have lunch with M in the middle so he was fine with being the documentarian (yep it is a real word) for the day!
L's grade was first up in the morning...

I took these next few while Dad was over at M's school...

No cropping have been done to the next three, they are exactly as they were taken and I already have big plans for them to hang in the game room. ;-)

Daddy was back pushing the shutter for the rest and I must say, he did a terrific job!

memorial day pancakes.

2009-05-27T12:54:00.004-05:00

It's kind of a bummer. Usually calling Memorial Day a school holiday is silly because they are well out of school before the day but this year, the kids had a full week and a half left of school to go. In honor of it, we made strawberry, blueberry pancakes but in true Evans kids fashion, M wanted hers plain, L only wanted the fruit on top, and C was over the whole thing before the pancakes were even poured on the griddle. Oh well, making them was much fun!

Red, White & Blue...

Don't they look delish? Oh and I was completely out of powdered sugar so we had to go with regular granulated.

and after the swim meet we...

2009-05-27T12:52:00.007-05:00

went to the pool to swim some more...what else?

These next two are probably my favorite of the evening simply because I totally love love love the lighting in them.

It sure didn't take long for C to find a cutie to join him!

little girl. big dreams.

2009-05-22T10:58:00.005-05:00

To be the next Michael Phelps or better yet Dara Tores. That's whats she wants and more importantly, she is ready and willing to work as hard as it takes for it. At our first official meet she took first in FOUR out of five events including a no-breather in her 25y freestyle! For last week's meet, she was well on her way to a repeat but it got called for thunder and lightening. I don't know where she gets all this determination (ok, well maybe I have an inkling) but she swims six days a week with a private lesson thrown in here or there when she feels like she is slipping (it gives her a nice confidence boost too). What I truly love about her drive is that while she wants to win, she is not a bad sport. Sure when she finishes behind someone else, she is disappointed but never ever hateful or ugly toward the other swimmer. As a rule, she is to congratulate them and genuinely be happy for them especially when it's a teammate. On her quest to swim like Michael Phelps (even though she hates the butterfly), she wanted to buy his book at the book fair last week and brace yourself, she even had me buy a Phelps poster to replace her Kevin Jonas one...now that's some kinda commitment y'all

No one quite understands like swim friends :)

Three Piggy Opera & a Bee

2009-05-15T21:30:00.008-05:00

C's class has been doing a lesson on bugs this week and as a project, he was to either create his own or make a model of an existing one making sure to label all the pertinent parts (ie. thorax, abdomen, antennae, legs, etc.). He chose to make a bumble bee and tonight he and daddy set about making it with some Crayola clay. Let me make clear that Daddy was only there as an advisor, not to do the project for him. Truthfully, it makes me crazy when parents take over their kids' projects; how can a teacher possibly evaluate the progress of a student when it's the parent doing all the work?

My what a big stinger you have...

Making lots of progress...

I think the antennae were C's favorite part.

Happy, happy kid...

A couple days later, we had a fully dry and labelled bee just in time to turn in...

On the day which also happened to be the Kindergarten program, The Three Piggy Opera which was the cutest version of The Three Little Pigs, kudos to the music teachers.

C was one of many wolves...

Throughout the program, he was always making sure we knew just where he was...

Boo's class got to see the program too and wouldn't you know, she spotted me and Daddy and gave a quick wave before heading back to class.

All those moms with little girl pigs better watch out when these wolves are on the prowl...

See ya later, mommy's little man...

On the way home, we stopped and T filled my car up...what a good guy!

Boo's Busy Day

2009-05-14T14:29:00.011-05:00

It is no surprise that my days are filled from beginning to end but my little boo's Wednesdays are always crazy so by her request I thought I would share one of her busiest days. Of course the day starts off like every other 2nd grader's with the alarm at 7:15, breakfast, get dressed, feed pets and make bed and off to school so I will start with picking her up at 3:40 and go on from there.
All smiles after a pretty good day :)

A quick phone call to Chippy to remind him that tomorrow is his bday...

We're basically home long enough to drop off C and head back out...

Since we're going to be on busy roads, it's back to the back seat for her...

She & I enjoy enjoy our Wednesday dinners at McD's.Such a big girl now, she picks up our tray and brings it to the table.

Like all princesses, only use the corner of the napkin to neatly wipe after eating.

Then it's off to piano.

A few minutes early so I take another quickie.

I'm sure her piano teacher thinks I am a lunatic at this point.

Back in the car and off to swim practice.

45 minutes later, she is finished.

On our way home, we discover this guy who has wondered out of the creek so...

she picks him up and

even though he's a bit heavier than expected, she

returns him to his home.

After being home about 60 minutes and relaxing with some Barbie time, it's back to the pool

for a private lesson with Coach Mary to help with her butterfly.She pushes and pushes for the full 30 minutes and then continues to practice after the lesson is over. It is now 8:15pm and I have to practically drag her out of the water.

Much like her big sister, L waits until roughly 8:45 to inform me that she needs to practice her presentation on dolphins for class tomorrow so back downstairs we go to rehearse.

After some minor adjustments, she is pleased and

following a rewarding bow, she is confident that she is totally prepared for tomorrow.

It is now 9:20 and we are finally at the tucking in phase of the evening. Whew. It has been a very long day for Boo.

Groomed

2009-05-13T11:12:00.003-05:00

I hardly recognize her now. I don't think I'll get her cut this short again, she's like a different dog to me. No more sprouting bows in between her ears and I have no idea how they got the bows to stick there next to her ears and I can tell you I dread taking them out.

Molly wanted nothing to do with having a pic taken but Cotton was quite content as he relaxed in his spot on the coffee table.

All I have left is...

2009-05-13T11:11:00.012-05:00

the cutting, gluing, decorating...uhm, pretty much the most important parts and it's due tomorrow. M has been half-heartedly working on her "ABC's of Me" project all week and knowing that she had volleyball camp all this week on top of dinner out this evening, she waits until we are leaving the restaurant to let us know we need to stop at a craft store for scrap booking stickers and paper..whaat? I found this project to be a bit on the silly side anyway, but I guess now that TAKs is over, let the busy work begin.

Finally finished and it's only...

almost tomorrow morning...

RayRay turns 14

2009-05-13T11:11:00.009-05:00

Where does the time go? When R's family moved in two houses down from us, M was eight years old, the same age L is now. We have seen her through Intermediate School and now Junior High; through braces and no braces; highlights to no highlights; first boyfriends and first break-ups; Good grades and not so great ones and we have loved her through it all. In the four years that we have known them, we have become family to each other and when we were making the decision whether or not to move, they were certainly a big factor. We promised to not let the distance (even if only minutes) change us. I miss being able to walk across the street and chat and I know our boys miss each other lots. Not a birthday goes by that we don't either go out or order in the obligatory bday dinner and last night was no exception, Happy Birthday RayRay..cha-cha-cha!

After I was informed by our way too cool to be waiting tables waiter that they didn't sing happy birthday, the little ones at the table were more than happy to pick up the gauntlet and run with it.

Getting louder and louder with each line...

R decided to pass on the pazookie, but as you can see there were more than enough takers to pick up her slack and in about 5 minutes...

L was scraping out the bits that remained.

I am so glad that the age difference has not come between them too much. R is never embarrassed to say one of her bffs is two years younger than her and so far all of her friends have been completely cool with that.

A needle in a haystack (or a diamond in the driveway)

2009-05-12T12:21:00.007-05:00

Today started off like most days, hair on fire and crazy trying to get everyone where they need to be and on time. Though adding to the chaos of any truly normal day was that all three dogs had to be to the groomers in between M being to school and L & C's arrival and the fact that we are down by one car (I'll get to that later) and T needed to get in to the office at some point and of course, I had errands to run and yada, yada. So off I go on my merry way and I manage to get M to school and the dogs to the groomers and the little ones off as well and I get home and help T load the car full of furniture we no longer need to take to Goodwill for drop off. I proceed to strip the bed and load the washing machine while he finishes getting ready. After all this, I walk into the closet to see if he's about ready and chat about our schedules for the day when I glance at my hand which is holding up by body with the help of the door jam and just about faint. Below is what was staring back at me...
My engagement diamond is missing. After a few seconds of utter disbelief and shock, T & I begin to retrace my steps and search the floors all over the house where I had been and then the washing machine and car, purse, front lawn, driveway and every place in between with no success. I call the groomers in tears begging them to look as well. As I drive T to the office I can't help but think, "why me"? This is just the latest in what seems to be a never ending string of disasters; from the wreck of the Suburban coupled with the driver at fault lying and the records department losing the accident report, to the never before seen unexplained catastrophic failure in the brand new Mustang's custom turbo and now this. Not to mention Cotton's vet visits for mystery pains which seem to have no diagnosis, a banking error on my part (not major but still); and finding out that the $350 water bill is in fact correct because apparently the deposit in this district is a whopping $250, this has not been the greatest couple of months. After going to the groomers office to search for myself and coming up empty, I call my very understanding girlfriends to cry (literally). I have to give a warm thank you to Mandy & Robbin for all their sympathy and even to the guy at the Houston Shoe Hospital who was so very nice to me. Feeling deflated, I finish up my errands and return home for what I expect to be another futile search. I get out of the car, emotionally spent and decide to go ahead and inspect the back of the Suburban that is now empty. While waiting for the hatch to open, I glance down at the driveway again and think I see a sequin when low and behold I pick it up and guess what...
it is my DIAMOND just laying there on the driveway. After many, many thank yous to almighty God whom I hadn't even thought to ask for help in all my pity partying, I called T and my gfs with the extraordinary news. So today when you think all is lost, just remember that He who made all creation can certainly find your needle in the haystack or at least have the sun shine in just the right spot in the driveway to make your missing diamond sparkle. Praise God.
Oh and one more thing, if you think that I am some crazed lunatic who thought to grab the camera before picking up my diamond, have no fear. I recreated the moment for a photo op much later in the day. :)

Sprinkled

2009-05-11T16:12:00.006-05:00

After all the fun and excitement of earlier in the day on Saturday, I thought for sure C man would be all tuckered out. Not so. I opened the door to see how the sprinkler system setting adjustments were coming along and was greeted by my sopping wet son who proceeded to say those words that every mother looks forward to hearing, "Daddy said it was ok." Uh huh. I guess since he was subjected to a 6:15am wake-up call and then dragged of to a volleyball tournament all day, he needed some fun too.

He asked me to take this one...Then he slapped himself around a bit with his wet shirt...fuuuun!

Then he showed me his "big muscles"

Season Ending Nail Biter

2009-05-11T14:43:00.003-05:00

After L's time trials were finished, we went on to M's volleyball tournie where I was told that she was doing AWESOME and they had kicked booty and made it to brackets! WHoo hoo! Unfortunately they had to play another team in their own club and for M, several members of the opposing team were her friends. They put up a good fight and M played the best I have seen her but they lost.
I know this pic is crazy blurry but it's the only serve she hit while I was there and I was still in full sun swim mode...
Guard that net girl!

Yelling some cheers to support her girls...

Just a couple of her teammates that she became close to. Hopefully she will be playing again with the girl third from the left during summer league.

All-in-all, we had a very rocky start to this season and even considered pulling her but looking back, I am so thankful we stuck it out and the improvement she has shown in nothing short of amazing.

Membership has it's priveledges...LOTS of pics

2009-05-11T14:20:00.014-05:00

So many of my local readers know that swim season officially kicked off this past Saturday at the highly unappealing time of 6:45am. Since I am totally swamped with proofing and orders right now, I haven't been able to get to these so I thought I'd give a little peek-a-boo to those I know follow this blog. I fully admit that I felt a little out of the groove shooting these, but have no fear, it's just like riding a bike...right?
OK so this first kid is a no brainer since her mother writes this blog...hehe
Incidentally, she was totally bummed about how "slowly" she was swimming and blamed me for forcing her to eat something when it was discovered she was wearing M's swimsuit by mistake. Yeah, perhaps the drag on a suit roughly 3 sizes too big may be to blame and not the half of a donut she ate. The amazing thing is that even with the late night and an off morning, she is still holding third spot in free & breast and the top spot in back. Imagine what she will accomplish when she's having an ON day!

This picture just doesn't feel right without M in it...oh well...

This is the younger brother of my senior in the next post...yes, good looks run in the family. Oh and his younger sister is on the far right in the picture above...

And this swimming phenom rounds out that attractive family...

A bunch of swimming cuties, especially that toothless one on the left ;)

My new bff...this little one comes and talks to me every practice to fill me in on what's been going on with her day. She used to be a neighbor before we moved so now we have to catch up on the gossip at swim...

The last time I saw this guy he was about 11 years old and at least a foot shorter...holy cow!

No doubt Mom's beating the girls off with a stick (oh and I happen to know that both him mom AND dad read my blog...hey keith & mandy)

This kid's dad is an official and his little sister is one of L's friends. Speaking of his dad, he gets honorable mention after telling me that I was the deciding factor in them returning to the team..I gotta say, that really humbled me.

Another member of a swim dynasty and I have no doubt that his mom will want to know why his siblings are missing from the blog...well, truth be told, I can't find a pic of his cutie pie sister (even though I know I took one) and his big bro was a no show...

Cheeky Monkey...so this guy tells me that he is planning to pose for me during all his events. Should he start gaining time and falling in the ranks, I think his mom may just lose her love for me.

Another tidbit about Mr. Personality, the very personality traits that make me adore him are the very same that cause me to never let him near my daughter...HA!

This swimmer's mom loves B&W as much as I do and she is one of L's biggest competitors this year which I think is awesome as they are challenged by each other...

Another one of my buddy's kids, Mr. T and...

Miss L. I will be so glad for the kids to go back to the school where she works so I can see her smiling face more often during the school year.. :)

This is one of my favorite client's son and you can see him and his cousin on my blog every November...

And now to one of my very favorite families...

I had to take a pic of dad working since he travels so much, we needed proof he actually existed...

Get after it, K... Hopefully I will be able to get some shots of her big brother (another friend of M's) when he gets his cast off and gets back in the water...So I have no idea if her mom watches my blog or not, I posted her because she is just so dern cute!

HS Senior BFFs

2009-05-11T13:02:00.005-05:00

Ok so I had this rockin senior session this past Friday that went on for like 4.5 hours and believe me, had we had more sun, I could've gone longer. You can see most of the images on my biz blog here but Amanda brought her bff Courtney with her to take some shots for their graduation party invitations. We chose this first one for their invites...

Courtney was a world class reflector holder so I thanked her for it by taking a couple quickies of her on here own, here's one of them...

Their "signature pose"...

To make things even better, Amanda is the big sister of one of M's bffs so I really hope that one day far, far away I can do the same with them!

Growth

2009-05-04T09:31:00.007-05:00

So yesterday M asked if we could go out to breakfast at Ihop and after driving through the parking lot and seeing all the people waiting outside for tables, we decided on Denny's instead. After eating we stopped in Lowes for a few things when M mentioned that she had to go to the nurse for ice for the bottom of her foot because it was achy and maybe her shoes were too small. "Ok no problem, Academy is right across the street and we will measure your feet and pick up some new tennis shoes", I say. We get out the little foot measurer thingy (highly technical terminology) and holy cow, according to it, her foot has grown from a 6.5 to a 7.5! I bought her Asics for volleyball not even a year ago in September in a 6.5. Anywho, she tries on the 7.5 and they're too small, her toe is already at the end...OMG, she is an EIGHT, a woman's 8. Guess what folks, so am I and she hasn't taken that puberty growth spurt yet. A few weeks back I had spoken to a client of mine who is a doctor and whose daughter plays volleyball who had mentioned to me that kids are a lot like dogs in terms of predicting height with reference to their hands and feet and asked particularly about M's hands. When I mentioned that we had referred to her having "alien fingers" since birth because of how long and skinny her fingers and feet were she said that most likely she would grow into those hands and quite probably be about 5'6". Whoa.
The evidence...I took this last night as their part of the Ihop agreement. This was suposed to be this year's Christmas card ensemble which was never photographed, but last year's (as in '07), L was as tall as M's bottom lip and this year (or 18 month later), she barely reaches her shoulder.

I love color!

2009-04-30T17:16:00.008-05:00

I have been taking pictures of brightly colored things lately to hang over the art desk in the game room. I just love playing with all kinds of objects especially those with all different colors or textures (or both). I don't have a whole ton of room to hang these so choosing won't be easy. I guess I could be a good mom and leave it up to the kiddos, right?
This first one has already been printed as a square standout and is ready to be hung with any companions from this bunch that get chosen...

I know this one has absolutely nothing to do with the game room upstairs but I saw them laying on the floor in the middle of the entry way (exactly where they belong mind you) and somehow I was just drawn to this shot...

Cookies with Boo

2009-04-30T14:08:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday L got to enjoy the spoils of being the only kid home for a change, both her sister and brother had spent the night with their friends Saturday night and she decided to come home instead. So Sunday afternoon, she baked cookies with the precision that she is famous for, taking the time to roll each spoonful into a ball and arrange them evenly spaced on the cookie sheet to bake. When M came home and tasted one, even she commented on how much better L's were than when she baked them.

Oh and by the way, my little L specifically asked me to put these on my blog...sigh, she gets it.

Zoo trip

2009-04-30T13:35:00.006-05:00

C's class trip to the zoo was last Friday and given the recent headline-making health scare, I sure am glad he got to go when he did since all out of district activities have been cancelled until May 11th at the earliest. The great thing about kindergarten is that all the parents are so gung ho to help and chaperon on field trips so I only had two little ones with me and my bff only had two with her as well so we were able to all be together.

The official first stop was the big cats but they weren't all that interested in having pictures taken but the bears were agreeable!

So were these two "cubs"

The zoo was so packed with kids from all over that it was not easy to find a spot to sit and have lunch so we grabbed an empty bench somewhere in the monkey area and made the best of it.

The reptile house, the boys were determined to make it in here before we had to leave...

Yuuuuck...

We met a few characters from the cast of "Finding Nemo" such as Nemo himself...

Dory...

Some jellyfish...

One of my personal favorites of the day...Ah, the meerkat, such publicity hogs...

C has an absolutely wonderful kindergarten teacher who is just starting out her teaching career and given her patience and kindness as well as a definite ability to think outside the box, she is a shining example of why we need more like her.

All the boys sat in a circle and went over the map of the zoo discussing all the places they went and animals they saw.

Year three begins...

2009-04-30T11:27:00.004-05:00

Yep, it's swim season again and L was raring to go, she just looooves to swim. Even the thought of five practices a week through June didn't damper her spirits though I must admit that I wasn't exactly doing cartwheels. L is the our only swimmer this year given that M is fully immersed in volleyball and never quite found swim all that much fun and C just isn't ready yet. Somehow I got suckered in to shooting the meets again this year, but I was smart and only agreed to the home meets and not all of them. It's a good thing with the way my back has been since the accident, I don't think I could've handled them all anyway.

So obedient..

2009-04-30T11:20:00.005-05:00

Just a little more Lola as I try to get used to the set up of the new stu...

You know, she has been a bugger to potty train, but this little one is so cute that I can forgive her of pretty much anything.

Happy Earth Day :)

2009-04-22T11:03:00.004-05:00

Today is Earth Day and I am all in favor of people being aware of the mark we leave on this planet. I can't say that we are as green a family as we could be but we do take some steps that everyone should take to cut back on everyday waste.
First, I LOVE these grocery bags! If you have ever seen the sheer volume of plastic bags in our landfills, it would make you queasy. Secondly, they are sooo much easier to manage, hold more and don't rip and tear when you pick them up. For a buck a piece, they're a no brainer.
Recycle!!! It's easy and for most in this area, it is included with your regular trash pick up.

Now I know that in the summer heat, this one gets tricky but while the temps are mild and the days are clear, use the energy God provides for free to light your home. I can say that during the day, a light bulb is almost never turned on in this house until the kids get home.

Why should we concern ourselves with waste and pollutants? This little family would greatly appreciate it I'm sure...

And what would a post be this week without some shots of M? I mean, c'mon she's wearing green, I had no choice!

A day with my muffin (lots a pics)

2009-04-21T16:47:00.015-05:00

So for about six months now, M has had this broken vessel between her eyes on the bridge of her nose that she got from walking into a door (yes, I'm serious) that we thought would just go away. As it happens, one of my clients is the fabulous dermatologist, Dr. Stephen Van Laborde (click for link) who was over with his adorable daughter for her 3ish month pictures. He took a quick look at it and said that only with some laser treatments would it ever go away. Poor M struggled for about 30 seconds with whether her fear of having a laser shot at her face or spending her adolescent years with a red dot on the bridge of her nose was worse. She opted for the laser and today was the fateful day. So, why have you never noticed this unsightly (I exaggerate) spot in her pic you ask? Simply, she has a standing order to have it "Photoshopped" in all images. I did manage to dig up an untouched picture for your reference though.

Hiding from me in the waiting room...

She's totally brave,no fear whatsoever...

OK, so perhaps a little fear...

The zapper...

Funky cool glasses to protect her eyes...

I told her to sit on her hands to stop her from attacking Dr.Laborde since it used to take three nurses to hold her down for shots when she was little...

Zaaaaap!

A little dab of cream...

And viola...she lived!

More hiding from me...

Ahhh, a well deserved treat...

Then it was off to Nikki's for some highlight maintenance, cut & style...Rinse...

Cut...

Ok, so the rest of these have been..eh hem, "fixed" to focus only on her beautimousness!

Those beautiful blue eyes...

A quick stop at the mall...

More pics in the stu..

Unfortunately, she had volleyball tonight so she had to brush out those fabu curls but she wanted me to take some pics like that 'cus she even liked it that way too!

Oh yeah, we stopped at James Avery along the way and got this great ring for M. It is inscribed with the words, "True Love Waits" and she wears it on her right hand because she has her promise ring to God on her left. Now her answer should any boy ask her for a promise is, "Sorry, I've already made my promise." Gotta love this kid.

And we even found something for L that couldn't be more perfect for her. Not only does she collect pigs, she is quite the saver so there was no way we could leave without this charm.

Did I warn that there were a LOT of pics (31 to be exact) or what???

Too real now

2009-04-20T16:41:00.006-05:00

This arrived in the mail today from one of my aunt's in MA and though I have been waiting for it since it was promised to me as a child, actually holding it my hands makes my Nana's death that much more real all over again. This was her mother/daughter ring or at least that's what I knew it as and I don't think during my childhood that I had ever seen her without it. I remember vividly our little ritual of my asking her to tell me whose stone belonged to who. Of course it is only the smaller stones of the grandchildren along with the larger stone that belongs to my mother that I could name now. Living this far away allows me the privilege of living in denial as I do not have to face it every day like the rest of my family in the north does. I remember as a kid (and even a little as an adult) believing she would live forever, possibly longer than the rest of us. She was a force to be reckoned with that is for sure and I just knew that she would go down kicking and probably with a cigarette in her hand. Towards the end of her life, our relationship was strained due to the manipulation and dishonesty of my mother and I will live have to live with that regret but I know with everything that I am that she remained my greatest champion and biggest fan. I miss her terribly.

Mr. Two

2009-04-20T16:38:00.003-05:00

That's what the kids call T's Toyota MR2. I simple refer to it as his mistress. Yesterday evening we went out to snap a couple pics for him to print and hang in his office. Maybe we'll take some of the orange car sometime soon too.

Need a Lola fix?

2009-04-19T16:48:00.003-05:00

Yeah, me too. I just happened to have the right color paper and fur throw for her outfit and she had a bath and brush out yesterday. What kind of person would I be if I didn't take advantage of the stars aligning like that? Anyway, she was such a good girl with the baby I had in studio today that I had to "reward" her. She LOVES having her picture taken which you can clearly see!

More M

2009-04-17T13:44:00.002-05:00

You know, I would be in SO much trouble if this kid had any clue how pretty she is. On the one hand, I want her to be confident in all the areas in her life and far too often too high a priority is placed on appearance especially with girls. On the other, why shouldn't be able to have the same confidence in the knowledge that she is just as attractive as some of the other girls (ladies, you remember school, you know the ones) that walk around like peacocks, better than the others simply because some prepubescent boys have labeled her "hot" and they have more ex-boyfriends then they do iTunes? If they only knew what they were trading for that stack of exes and not to mention that the prettiest peacocks are the males and the females are actually very plain. M is a classic beauty (in my eyes anyway) and classic beauty lasts a lifetime whereas "hot" fizzles and means very little. I have tried to tell her so many times that in the Lord's eyes, she is the most beautiful of His creations and this is not determined by her reflection in the mirror, but the reflection of her heart onto others and in her relationship with Him. I guess that's kinda like telling your girlfriend that the great guy you set her up with is "really funny" or the always popular, "has a great personality." Why should these statements be synonymous with unattractive? I digress. With a mixture of her schedule, my schedule and typical Houston weather, I haven't been able to get outside to get some more relaxed pics of her so I played for a few minutes in the stu...

The stu & Office...

2009-04-14T13:52:00.006-05:00

So I said I would post some pics of the new stu and here it is in all it's glory. The shooting area is just as big as before though I don't have a sitting area any more and the ceiling isn't vaulted so my hairlight is an issue. I need to take that chandelier down and replace it, but I can't seem to find a fixture that I like. The room does have some terrific afternoon natural light which I am thrilled about.
All my glass that I like to use indoors right at the ready next to me...Oh and I have a really cool plaque that my sister-in-law did for me that will go right above this as soon as I crack the whip on the hubby!

My very own office all to myself!! I LOVE the black and red color scheme.

My little sitting area along with some cool shelves which hold my back-up cameras and outdoor lenses that are a bit too heavy for the shelves in the stu. I know the wall is a little barren and I am thinking of a shelf with some lighting for right there..hmmm...

My oldest...

2009-04-14T10:15:00.003-05:00

Oh my gosh, I just love this kid so much. Even through the pre-teen angst and drama, I cannot imagine that there's a better 12 year old anywhere. Last night I started what I hope will be the first of at least a few "sessions" with her since I haven't taken any official pics of her in quite a while. You know what they say about the cobbler's children? Well, it's often true about photographer's children as well.

This one is probably my favorite :)

Since you asked...

2009-04-13T15:58:00.003-05:00

I have had some requests to posts some pics of the new house and since I needed to take some of M's bathroom for some cool vinyl wall lettering, I thought I would post them here as well. Maybe tomorrow I will post some of the new stu and office...maybe ;-)

P.S. I am not a big fan of the fuzzy toilet seat covers, but all my kids seem to have this strange fascination with them and begged to have them for their seats...to each their own I suppose ;-)

Bounce...

2009-04-13T13:34:00.012-05:00

Now that we have a yard with plenty of room and given the fact that according to M, EVERYONE has one in their backyard, we broke down and got them a trampoline. And when the time came to assemble it, the kids were more than willing to help. Before anyone runs out to report us as bad parents, YES there is a safety net and it was put up after I let them jump one at a time so a) they would stop asking and b) I could get some cool shots (and there are LOTS)
Our Project Manager...
And his supervisor...

Day laborer...Going over the plans...

Workin hard...

Finally, the reward of a hard day's work...

Snooping on the neighbors...

The twist...

Check out that hair...

Hang ten...

And this is why we have to make sure that Miss Lola is not outside alone...

See, I told you there was a safety net...

Looks like a great smile doesn't it? The fact of the matter is that he is so pleased with his great many talents but this one above most. You see, he was belching out the spelling of his name...niiiiiice.

She's all that...

2009-04-09T09:56:00.004-05:00

I am seriously lacking with my studio feel lately even though I have shot it most often. I guess with all that's been going on, I feel a bit stale in the creativity department so I have decided to torture the kids more often. I haven't taken M's "birthday" pictures in so long that I have already warned her those are coming in this long weekend and last night while waiting for a client, I did some with L who is almost always willing. I am having issues with hairlight placement since the ceilings are lower in my new stu and I need to have the chandelier replaced with a more flush mounted light fixture as well. Sigh. It'll all come together sooner or later...right?

Everyone Loves a Good Book...

2009-03-31T19:10:00.006-05:00

Even M who rarely enjoys a book quite this much. I saw her sitting out on the backyard swing and was struck both by how much older she is getting and how totally peaceful and in her own world she was. I was hesitant to allow her to read these books but after speaking with some friends with similar Christian beliefs and values as mine and reading a few articles and then weighing it all, I decided to let her provided that if she should come across anything that she had questions about that she bring those questions to me or her dad. I seriously doubt the she will be confused about whether or not vampires are real so I can scratch that off the list of possibles, but the questions about pre-marital sex, pregnancy and divorce and the ramifications of them are doors not easily opened without a catalyst such as a book or movie. She has had friends who are dealing with divorce but speaking about them feels occasionally like gossip or betrayal so she shies away. Thankfully she hasn't come across those who are considering loosing their virginity just yet though we have had some stepping stone discussions with her already just in case.

Rental...

2009-03-31T15:27:00.005-05:00

Not my Suburban still, but it gets me from point A to point B and for a mere $10 a day over what the other guy's insurance wants to pay. I guess they'd prefer I drive 3 kids around in a 2-door spec..uh huh. On the subject of the other folks involved in the accident... In my original post about this accident, I mentioned that the man in front of me decided to go in an ambulance to the hospital and I was slightly suspicious of this given he was perfectly fine until the police officer arrived. Turns out I got a lovely call today from his personal injury attorney requesting my insurance information. Sorry buddy but the officer on the scene determined that the man behind me was at fault and you'll have to go after him for any damages which is why he gave us both that man's insurance information along with the case number. When I inform him that I will not voluntarily give him my info he tells me that he has no plans to "go after" my insurance company but needs to "inform" them so they can work it out with the at-fault driver's insurance. Ya know, I am a lot of things but stupid is not one of them. UGH! I can only work for spurts at a time before my back starts to feel like someone is poking me with needles yet have I contacted an ambulance chasing vulture...no, I haven't. THIS is why insurance costs so dang much. Be honest people!

I Almost Forgot...

2009-03-31T15:23:00.004-05:00

And in truth, I would really kinda like to but the day before the accident was my bday. I need not give any more information other than to say I have some terrific friends who remembered even after being asked to forget and a wonderful family who all wished me a special day in their own ways. Here are just a few :-)

Not the best thing that could've happened today

2009-03-26T22:34:00.005-05:00

Ok, so quite a few of you know that I am involved with the charity organization, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and I donate my time roughly twice a month. This morning, while on my way to the medical center in the usual stop and go Houston traffic, the car in front of me stopped abruptly and in response, so did I. The problem came in when the man behind me did not and subsequently crashed into my beloved Suburban with such force that he pushed me into the pick up truck in front of me. You can generally spot the person responsible for a fender bender by zeroing on the one protesting the loudest and with the most enthusiasm and this case was no different. Repeatedly the man behind me ranted about how he couldn't possibly be at fault because he was only travelling at roughly 62 mph and I just stopped out of the blue....yeah, which means YOU should've been stopped too and not with the help of the back of my car. AT one point he seriously tried to suggest that I had put my car in REVERSE...what?!?! Luckily, the two truck divers that arrived on the scene were wonderful and after moving the wreckage off the left lane of I45 and into a nearby parking lot, the no-nonsense cop did not take long at all to assess what happened and write a ticket for the less than pleased fellow who hit me. The gentleman in front of me ended up going to the hospital complaining of back and neck pain (insert dubious expression here) but I opted not to with only a little irritation where the seat belt had tightened. Wouldn't you know that as the day wore on, my head started to hurt more and more and suddenly I had no peripheral vision on my right side. Uh oh. My hubby, friends, family and even a couple clients insisted that I get checked out and after getting really nauseous and realizing that I couldn't string a sentence together, I went and had a CT scan. The scan concluded that my brain was normal which was a relief as well as an end to any concerns that T has long had that I am "not normal"...HA! Anywho, after a shot that only made me sleepy and another dose of Ibuprofen, I was on my way home to sleep for the next two days.

Her spot

2009-03-24T11:22:00.006-05:00

This has to be the crappiest piece of Wal-mart junk table ever and I even have a nicer table to replace it but I am having some difficulty with getting rid of it. You see, this is HER spot where she keeps me company during the day and where I help her fight the urge to chew up every tiny object she can find. We are in-sync, she and I and who am I to change that over a piece of albeit, UGLY furniture (and I use the term furniture very loosely)?
Just one for fun...T thinks she looks like Animal from the Muppets but I personally think she looks more like a Fraggle though the irony is that both shows were done by the late Jim Henson so I guess we're on the same page.

Classic Cool

2009-03-24T10:43:00.005-05:00

I have wanted to take these pictures of him for about three years now and never could seem to find the time. Well last night after the bluebonnets, I saw him sitting at the counter eating his burger with his fresh haircut and white tee and had to do it right then. He is such a natural in front of the camera when it's just him and me, no pesky sisters and no distractions like ducks, ladybugs and joggers with their dogs. I know in the not-so-distant future, I will cherish these pictures even more than I do now. I only wish you could hear that sweet little boy voice that I know will change into the deep husky tones of his father. These are the days that I wish I could push pause and stop the hands of time to take a breath. This is exactly why I am a photographer, to freeze these moments forever.

Bluebonnets

2009-03-24T10:34:00.006-05:00

I was absolutely determined to get bluebonnet pics of my kids this year and though my schedule (and the weather) has not allowed me to schedule any for my clients, we were able to sneak away this evening to grab a few for us. The wind was CRAZY, but the clouds allowed for some even lighting and we made the best of it. As a photographer, photographing my own kids can be somewhat of a nightmare but as they get older, it get a little easier.

These are the smiles I don't get in a "portrait environment", they are only available in those totally relaxed moments when I am only mom and they are enjoying a happy meal...

Twelve?!?!

2009-03-24T10:19:00.004-05:00

Was it really 12 years ago that the Lord sent down the one thing the doctors said I couldn't have? My first glimpse into heaven, the gift He gave me which would change me forever in ways I never ever thought possible arrived 12 years ago and it still seems like yesterday. She is kind, forgiving, generous and a little shy. She is talented, smart and a little less confident than she should be. She is loved by everyone who meets her and she makes me proud in so many ways, I couldn't possibly list them all. She loves all animals and hates fruits of all varieties. She has porcelain skin complete with the perfect amount of freckles, sea blue eyes and an amazing smile. She is my muffin and I love her with everything I have inside me. And she is twelve.
Just like her mom, M has a soft spot for fresh flowers and these just called to me while I waited for her balloons...

We've lost her for sure now...

12 balloons and a volleyball to grow on...

We also got her a cookie cake to share with her friends at volleyball practice but bad mom forgot the camera.

What's been going on...

2009-03-24T09:38:00.007-05:00

Yes it has been a while to say the least and thanks again to all who have checked in on me and asked how things are going while ever so subtly asking when I might get around to posting again. Admittedly I haven't had much time to take any pics other than those I am paid to but I did take a few.

Let's see...there was Valentine's Day Parties
He always finds a way to impress the ladies ;-)

We painted walls...

While M & Lola snoozed though notice she is never far from her Ipod or phone...

She was bright eyed and bushy-tailed to paint her own room...

We have some terrific friends who stayed over until midnight to help with M's room...

Lola helped fold some kitchen towels which were promptly put back in the basket for rewashing...

T's mistress...

I still love her in pigtails, it's such a bittersweet reminder of the little girl who used to be. Maybe I'll dig up an old picture of her in pigtails when she was small...

L's class did a series on pigs right before spring break and knowing that L collects them, her teacher invited her to bring some. Wouldn't you guess that every day she wore her pig earrings (yes, she owns a pair) and she brought two different members of her pig family.

Just cus he melts this mom's heart with those eyes and overgrown hair...

Honor Band

2009-02-11T10:57:00.004-06:00

Remember when I was all excited that M was third chair? Well, now she's FIRST chair and a member of the district's honor band!!!! Last night they had a concert and the terrific thing about the flute section is that they are first row so it's super easy to get a pic. She may look like me, but any and all musical talent she posses came directly from her father and I know that is something she delights in sharing with him even if she may not openly admit it.

Rockstar cool...

Don't file a missing persons report

2009-02-08T21:32:00.003-06:00

As I have posted on my business blog, I am really excited to tell you that we are moving! This means that I will not have a whole lot of free time to take any pics in the next few weeks. Once things are settled (like next year, ha!) I will try to post some of our new casa. Thanks to all of you who stop by regularly and I will be back as soon as I am up and running...see u soon!!

Just in the nick of time

2009-02-03T12:37:00.005-06:00

Whew! L was so worried that she wouldn't be better in enough time to perform in her 2nd grade choir performance so I am certain she willed it so! Apparently mom didn't have her brain switched on because all I brought with me was a prime lens so I couldn't get very close but with a little crop magic, I think you can see how happy she was to be there back with her friends.

At least it's not strep throat...

2009-02-02T20:56:00.005-06:00

Yep, another kid home sick today, but this time in addition to feeling terrible for her, I have mom guilt to add to it. L had a particularly bad day last Friday and this morning I really thought that she was playing possum when she came down complaining of a sore throat and sent her on to school. Fast forward to about 12:30 when I got a call from the nurse letting me know that L was in her office with a headache and temperature of 102.4...crap. By the time I arrive within the span of 10 minutes, her fever had climbed to 102.8. Luckily for all of us, Daddy had called ahead to the doctor and her appointment was scheduled for 30 minutes later and even had the forethought to send me with a medicine syringe filled with Motrin to give her when I picked her up from school. After a quick swab, strep was ruled out and the flu diagnosis handed down. UGH! I hate the flu! I only hope we got to it in time so the Tamiflu can do it's job otherwise, it's another miserable week in my house.

Aren't crayons the greatest? So colorful and neat when they are new. In a week's time they'll be battered and broken and half will be missing but for now, they are perfect.

Things to do when you're home sick

2009-01-28T20:06:00.003-06:00

I had no doubt that at least one of our children would fall victim to the sporadic weather lately and it ended up being C. Many of you know about his frequent nose bleeds because I have blogged before about them, but one of the common occurrences that accompany them is impetigo. Little boys are famous for not being vigilant about washing their hands and though we try, C is no exception so the bacteria from his hands coupled with the irritated membranes in his nose can lead to this type of infection which is highly contagious. So, after taking the obligatory trip to the doctor for his antibiotic syrup and cream prescription we went to Target to get them filled and pick up some activities to help with the boredom onset since according to C, he wasn't sick at all.

Frustration

2009-01-28T12:15:00.010-06:00

Like a broken record, I will say I am so sorry to have been so preoccupied with M's volleyball that I have neglected my blog yet again. I had planned a huge rant about my issues with this particular club but I have decided to hold my tongue which is new for me. Instead, I will post a few images from her last tournaments that she actually played in and then give everyone a dose of Lola along with one of she & T that he will surely kill me for. So if you come back in a week and it's gone, you'll know he discovered it!

Brrrrr....

2009-01-14T15:02:00.005-06:00

The temperature outside this morning when M should've been waiting for the bus was 26 whopping degrees which is stinkin cold round these parts so the fab mom I am told her that I would take her instead. Daddy of course thinks I don't let them tough it out enough and maybe he's right but still, 26 degrees is COLD! An hour later when I took the little two the temp had only climbed to 28 and so I was able to snap the teeny little ice crystals on a small patch of clover in our neighbor's front yard. Don't ya just love macro lenses?

Colors....

2009-01-14T13:31:00.003-06:00

More light and color balance testing today which is frustrating because I am trying to calibrate a new monitor AND check a new camera at the same time...ugh. The monitor is a huge lcd which is sitting on a desk next to a window...nothing like stacking the deck right? Can you tell how lazy I am lately? I didn't feel like messing with my drops so it's white again (or gray since I didn't light it). More test shots, more M torturing! Please excuse the 'do she had only gotten off the bus about 10 minutes before these were taken so no time for primping!

Say hello to my little friend...

2009-01-14T13:27:00.007-06:00

Ok, so I should have posted this pic two weeks ago, but I just couldn't bring myself to put this baby down. Even though her price tag was about half as much as the big daddy, I adored her immediately and once again, the big gun was sidelined. I know I should sell it, but I just can't. I keep waiting for it work out between us and now with my feelings for this one, a reconciliation isn't looking promising. Not to mention the timing of her arrival..the day before I had a wedding to shoot...HELLO, so meant to be! Anyway, here she is 2 weeks old and loved completely...Miss 5D Mark II

Burnin Down the House...

2009-01-12T12:47:00.005-06:00

or at least you'd think that's what we were doing! This past Saturday was T's bday and after spending most of it at M's volleyball tournie, I had hoped he would come home to a clean house...nope, not even to a cake. In fairness to me about the cake, M had a very bad day and I thought it best to wait for her to bake it not to mention that the frosting she swore was in the pantry, was not and dad had to stop at the store to buy his own frosting. I had asked him a couple of days ago if there was anything special he wanted for dinner and since I still hadn't gotten a definitive answer, we waited until nearly 6:30 before he finally decided on what we would have which thankfully only required a phone call. After dinner and counting out blankety-blank candles and lighting those *many* candles, we sang a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" and in one impressive breath, the candles were extinguished.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Evans :)

Holiday Tidings from Lola

2009-01-09T16:00:00.009-06:00

I hadn't tested the new camera with my lights yet, so I decided to torture Lola for a little while this afternoon. Aren't you glad I did? It is sooo hard to be mad at her for anything (though we manage it when necessary). She is such a good girl when it comes to having her pictures taken. All you have to do is say the words, "Lola, treat?" and she gives you the sweetest expressions. Don't think I don't have to pay up though; as soon as I put the camera down, she runs to the kitchen cabinet where her treats are and barks...lol!

It's ok, you can say it.....awwwwwwwwe!

Since it's still the Christmas season around here...

2009-01-09T16:00:00.007-06:00

I supposed I would take a couple pics of this year's decoration additions. Every year, I add an ornament each for the kids hopefully showcasing whatever they are currently involved in. This year, I added a new family one too which I just thought was adorable after seeing my girlfriend order on for her clan.
The bummer is that the little boy playing the video game I ordered for C never came in and this was the best I could do by the time I found out...

This year I also had to completely redo my tree theme because in year's past, I have put the tree in the formal living and dinning room which was decorated in pearl white and gold. Given that those rooms are now forever my studio, we had to put the tree in the living room which has typically been burgundy, forest green and gold. So guess what, I went ahead and changed that too to classic Christmas colors, red & green.

I absolutely had to have this...

The kids all got new stockings from PBK and picked out new holders with M picking a moose (why for abercrombie, of course). Oh and by the way, her ornament was of a volleyball player, no surprise there!

I also added a couple houses to my little village; here is one...

It makes me sad to put it all away, but honestly, I am soooo ready! At least we took the outside ones down last weekend so we aren't advertising how lazy we are to passers by.

Less than cooperative...

2009-01-09T15:59:00.002-06:00

This evening I wanted to take a couple pics of the C man before he got his haircut tomorrow, but he was having no part of it. This was the best I could get out of the four he allowed me to snap.

Rip Stick

2009-01-06T20:50:00.003-06:00

So she was supposed to be showering, but clearly the pull of the rip stick proved too powerful. Looks like another late night after a two hour volleyball practice and then plex training for 30-45 minutes on top of that...great. I've gotta say though that she has shown amazing determination with this thing. She is so glad that she and her bff can ride them together now. According to T, it's not as hard as it looks once you figure out how to get on it. I don't even want to know how he has acquired this knowledge but I have a sneaking suspicion he has taken a spin on it himself.

The last hurrah

2009-01-06T15:10:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was the last day of winter break and we had discussed a possible trip to the movies the night before but once the girls got up, we discovered that they had been planning and scheming into the night to come up with a new plan. The decided that since almost every other school district was back in school, today would be a great day to go hang out at Main Event. The only problem being that M had a book to finish by today that she had been putting off for her entire break. After bargaining and promising to read the whole way there and back, I relented and took them for a quick outing.
Brrrr...it was very cold and wet outside!
We grabbed some lunch first to be sure we had our strength for play time...

What trip is complete without stopping in the picture booth?

Unfortunately, this one wasn't working and the girls never got their pic. :-(

One of Main Event's many activities, Lasertag. I sat the first round out.

They road the virtual roller coaster three times and twice designed their own rides with lots of twists and flips. It was hilarious to stand outside and listen to them scream!

A quick round of trivia in which I was the victor...go me!

Then on to bowling...

Where B showed us who was boss!

Lastly, another trip through the laser tag arena and this time I joined in to though I didn't fare well as my gun wasn't firing for the first half of the game. No matter, we all had a blast and I am glad the girls talked me into it.

On a side note, M finished her book and passed her test this morning with flying colors...it's all about motivation!

Our kids are just a teensy bit spoiled

2009-01-04T22:14:00.009-06:00

It is has always been my firm belief that spoiled is a state of mind which can not be measured by how much you have but what you do with it and how you treat it that matters. I still believe this. Will my children share every single one of their belongings without being threatened or bargained with? Without hesitation. Can they handle being told no whenever we are wandering around some random retail shop? Absolutely, though I wouldn't claim they were exactly happy about it these are children not saints. I will also fully admit that they are not told no as often as they should be. Are my children expected to respect their possessions by not abusing or wasting them or by leaving them lying around? You betcha though I will also admit that no one accuse them of being neat freaks. So, do I think that by most other people's definition they would be qualified as spoiled? Probably. But in my opinion, just a touch. I have seen many, many children with far less who refuse to share, scream bloody murder at the whisper of the word no and are prone to demolishing every toy they have when unhappy with it's performance or simply inclined to do so but because they have fewer items to destroy society does not label them "spoiled." I disagree. Perhaps this post is in some weird way a opportunity to justify the latest toys my oldest and youngest have acquired. A local merchant who lives in the neighborhood needed to get rid of the last of his holiday stock and we were in a position to purchase them. In truth, I had planned to buy a new bedroom suite with the money and as I am often guilty of, I spent it on my children instead. Am I over compensating for the unabashedly selfish mother I had as a child who only took me to the mall with her so she had someone to carry her bags? Yup and I don't regret it one bit. You can bet your bottom dollar that M & C will be expected to earn the right to ride them by showing responsibility and taking care to ride them properly and with the appropriate safety precautions. They are equipped with remote kill switches and governors to control their maximum allowed speed. That last bit of information was for the benefit of the grandparents who are reading and shaking their heads at this decision... :-)

Clearly we need to school little man on watching the road, not the handle bars. After this picture was taken, I was so impressed by the way he handled on coming cars in both directions. He stopped immediately and threw it into reverse to make room for the approaching vehicles. You know T was proud!

No need to worry that my middle cutie was having jealousy issues, she has a spunky little pink & white dirt bike that daddy still needs to do some maintenance on and she prefers the quickness and maneuvering of the smaller 4 wheeler anyway.

These last three were obviously taken today when the temps dipped in to the forties instead of the gorgeous 80 we had yesterday!

R.I.P.

2009-01-04T20:43:00.003-06:00

I simply cannot believe it. I actually dropped my iPhone in the toilet! These things can only happen to a person who less than two weeks ago demolished her favorite camera too...yup, me. GRRR. Did I have the protection plan? No, of course not so I had to go and buy a new one and this time was sure to get the plan and verify that I would be covered should me phone fall out of my back pocket to a watery grave again...rest in peace iPhone number one.

I heart my clients

2009-01-02T12:04:00.006-06:00

Oh my goodness! I had a wedding to shoot on New Year's Eve and as a thank you for agreeing to do it, the parents of the bride got me & T a hotel room for the evening. I am not kidding when I say that I LOVE my clients. We had a great time, Mike & Janet and thank you, thank you for the terrific room!

Volleyball pics, mom style

2008-12-30T22:16:00.005-06:00

I know that I always say that I buy both school pictures and sports pictures too so that I can rest my head at night knowing that I am in possession of those crappy horrible pictures for them to look back on in 30 years. That being said, I want some that I can display around the house and I am sorry but those simply do not make the cut! Today after the girls and I got back from their hair appointment, I took some frame worthy volleyball pics of M...

Please exuse if the color looks a little off, my monitor calibration software isn't in yet and these were done on my new computer and 24" monitor....whoot! Yes, Santa I was a very good girl this year!

We wish you a Merry Christmas...

2008-12-29T18:24:00.009-06:00

I took very few pics this year mostly because I really wanted to enjoy the day for what it was and hopefully T got it all on video anyway. Our festivities generally begin Christmas Eve with T's parents coming over to exchange gifts and do dinner. After dinner we go to the candlelight service at church (though this year we skipped it so we could partake of Meme's Louisiana Swamp Cake she worked so hard on) and then with some of our closest friends, we drive around looking at the holiday lights on local area homes. This year we drove to a themed neighborhood and I so wish I had brought my camera with me! Once we get home, it's hot chocolate and "The Polar Express" and the kids almost never make it to the end making bedtime a snap! Its a family slumber party in our room so we can monitor their movements Christmas morning! After an hour or so of ripping and tearing and squealing with delight, we have a yummy sugar packed breakfast and break out the pliers to undo those horrible kids' toy packaging. We try to squeeze in a couple hours of play time before heading over to my parent's for more presents and another big dinner in the early evening. It's a wonder we can roll ourselves out of bed on the 26th with all the food we consumed the 48 hours prior!
Look, it's a cool blue trip to the emergency room!

Meme and Papa try to figure out what on earth is in this big box!

Christmas Morning...

T waits with camera poised to video the stampede...

One...two...three...open!

And just like that, at least two months of planning, purchasing, wrapping and anticipation, it was over.

My how time flies...

2008-12-29T17:30:00.007-06:00

There was a time when I felt guilty about letting more than a day go by without a post, but a month? No way. I cannot believe how badly I have let this blog go. With the busy season almost behind me, I have a minute or two to catch everyone up on the goings on around here. We had a volleyball tournament, piano recital ( me & T were shooting a wedding and had to miss it but Granny & Chippy got her there and even videoed the performance), band concert, school parties and Christmas. I am trying really hard to take some time off right now, but with a mountain of proofing still left and January already booking up, it may be February before I can really slow down. I am trying to get a new website put together and a shopping cart feature organized along with the daunting undertaking of gutting out my office and getting it to a functional point for me. The thought alone is exhausting! In any case, here are some images of our various events this past month. It may surprise some to know that whenever I could get away with it, I left my camera at home.

Volleygirl...

My little flutist...4th chair (out of 16) too boot...whoo hoo!

Yup, that's snow in Houston! And 72 hours later we saw highs in the mid & upper 70's and crowded doctor's offices and cleaned out cold remedy aisles in the stores.

Class parties...

Teacher gifts...

Gifts for the kiddos in L's class...

The sweet light

2008-11-20T15:47:00.002-06:00

Ahhh, sundown is my absolute favorite time of the day. The beautiful warm glow that sun gives as it is saying goodnight just can not be duplicated. While I set up last evening for a session, I used my M as a quick test subject. You can clearly see how enthusiastic she was about the prospect...ha-ha!

New Prop

2008-11-17T19:21:00.004-06:00

I got a fun new prop last week that I actually used on a session before I got to test drive it with the girls! Go ahead and call me crazy, but I just love it and I already have another session in mind for it...weeeee!

I just love this one of my little boo bear...

Hodge Podge

2008-11-09T19:36:00.005-06:00

These are just several images that I snapped this weekend, nothing serious. Just some randomness.
L & her gf, P...

M...

These next couple are from the impromptu ping pong tournament courtesy of the set that came in the Wendy's kids meal after church...

These were taken after I got back from my early evening sessions Sunday...

The state of the nation

2008-11-05T09:22:00.007-06:00

To say I am disappointed would be understatement. While I am proud to live in a country that can overcome such racial animosity in the space of less than 100 years, I am still in complete disagreement with Mr. Obama's political and social platform regardless of the color of his skin. We are rumored to be EQUALS in this country and are all given the opportunities to better ourselves through hard work and determination yet this man would have us "spread the wealth" to some of those who have made the choice to remain helpless. The last I checked this was a capitalist society, not a socialist one. Perhaps Mr. Obama hasn't served this country long enough to know the difference. Were these candidates judged unfairly? Absolutely. While Mr. Obama was a media darling with little to no experience, John McCain, a war veteran and life long American, was ridiculed and judged by the perceived actions of George W. Bush. As for the economic crisis, before everyone chants for Obama, I highly recommend they research where this spiral actually started with Mr. Carter's administration, not George W.'s We have been on a collision course for more than 30 years and it is unfortunate that Bush will carry the burden of something he could not have prevented. I cried for our country and for John McCain last night though I know that he is covered by God's grace and He has surely not forsaken him. We do not know the great mystery that is our Heavenly Father or His plan so all I can do is look to Him which is what He wants us to do in all times and especially times such as these. I have total faith that this is a part of His plan and a test of the faith of all His children and for Mr. McCain and Mrs. Palin. These two individuals stood strong and unwavering for what they believed in only to watch flash and inexperience and deception take their place at the head of this nation. The fact remains that Mr. Obama is our president and I will teach my children to respect the leader of our great nation even if they don't support his decisions. After all, it is the same respect I expect them to give me whether they agree with me or not.