"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."
-Anonymous
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The Yellow Raincoat
"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."
-Anonymous
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Easter... in June!
Growing up, we always went to my grandparent's place in Scurry after church for Easter, but we didn't do the traditional Easter thing. Instead of the ham and casseroles and whatnot, we built a bonfire, roasted hot dogs and stuffed ourselves silly with grandma's famous potato salad. It was bliss.
These days it's kinda hard to make it to Grandma's by lunch since we kinda have responsibilities at church on Easter. So this year, she did the sweetest thing. She postponed Easter until we could all be there. Sadly, we weren't able to make it 'til June. Nevertheless, we had so much fun.
In addition to the hot dogs, there was an Easter Egg hunt, but the real highlight was the Treasure Hunt. What it has to do with Easter, I'm not sure, but the tradition started when I was 10 or so, and we always had a great time. The original story started as such, and there's a new one every year.
So this year, the kids were big enough to embark on a treasure hunt of their own. And what an adventure it was!
We had a wonderful day together, enjoying family, food, and the beautiful, serene place that is Grandma & Grandpa's house. It was such a great day, and I was (and still am) just overcome with thankfulness.
These days it's kinda hard to make it to Grandma's by lunch since we kinda have responsibilities at church on Easter. So this year, she did the sweetest thing. She postponed Easter until we could all be there. Sadly, we weren't able to make it 'til June. Nevertheless, we had so much fun.
In addition to the hot dogs, there was an Easter Egg hunt, but the real highlight was the Treasure Hunt. What it has to do with Easter, I'm not sure, but the tradition started when I was 10 or so, and we always had a great time. The original story started as such, and there's a new one every year.
The Tale of Whitebeard the Pirate
Back in the days of yore (yore grand-mammy and yore grand-pappy that is) there was this mean, nasty, rotten, stingy, and altogether disagreeable pirate named Whitebeard. He had previously been known as Blackbeard, but since he had drunk milk for breakfast and did not have a napkin he was henceforth and forevermore known in polite society as Whitebeard.
Well it seems that this vermin of the high seas had pillaged all of the treasuries of Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Cicily Alaska. His ship, the "Puddy Tat", was so loaded down with treasure that she barely stayed afloat. Every time a wave came by buckets of water filled her bilges. Mean, nasty, rotten, stingy and altogether disagreeable Whitebeard made the crew, which he had shang-haied once when he was in Shang-hai, go below and take their Tupperware buckets and form a bucket brigade to bail the water from the bilges.
One day in mid-November, while sailing the Gulf of Mexico just off shore from Galveston, he suddenly remembered that he had tickets to the December 3rd game which had the Dallas Cowboys facing the dreaded Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now Whitebeard didn't particularly care for the Cowboys, especially since Jerry Jones made Jimmy Johnson quit before having an opportunity to win the Super Bowl three times in a row. But he really admired the Buccaneers because their name reminded him of pirates and he really loved being a pirate. He often said "Being a pirate is a lot like being a preacherCyou gotta have the calling."
Knowing that he only had about three weeks to cover the four hundred or more miles to Texas Stadium, he immediately headed the Puddy-Tat up the Trinity River. When he reached the place on the Trinity where Cottonwood Creek joins it he became a little confused, which was understandable since he rarely thought very clearly since having his frontal lobotomy. And being in such a state of confusion, he turned right up Cottonwood Creek instead of continuing up the Trinity to Irving as he should have. After a couple of days heading up Cottonwood Creek the water played out and the Puddy Tat was stranded. Whitebeard was determined, however, to make it to the game so he and his crew left the Puddy Tat and decided to go overland to Texas Stadium. Of course though he didn't want to leave all the booty on the Puddy Tat where it might be found. So he and his crew buried the treasure on the land that is now known as the "Old Madden Place". (The old in this case refers to the place and not to the Madden).
Whitebeard said, almost intelligently, we better make a map so we can find the treasure when we come back, which they did. He decided though, that if he took the map to Texas Stadium some thief could pick his pocket and steal the stuff which he had already stolen. This really perplexed him and he said, "I wish they would arrest all of them thieves." Then one of his crew, who was a college graduate, reminded him that he too was a thief. After mulling this over he changed his mind about arresting the thieves. So he decided to hide the map in a hollow tree close to where he had buried the treasure. He didn't think about it being just as hard to find the tree as it would to find the treasure. So as it turns out old mean, nasty, rotten, stingy, and all together disagreeable pirate named Whitebeard has not made it back to claim the treasure he had buried.
So this year, the kids were big enough to embark on a treasure hunt of their own. And what an adventure it was!
We had a wonderful day together, enjoying family, food, and the beautiful, serene place that is Grandma & Grandpa's house. It was such a great day, and I was (and still am) just overcome with thankfulness.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Life of the Party
This weekend we discovered a whole new side of Carson. The Life of the Party.
We were at my cousin's wedding reception on Saturday. The music was playing, the dance floor was open, and there was our son... dancing his little heart out. But not just the bouncing around kind of dancing that kids will do. He was dancing pretty darn well. Growing up, I was not part of a dancing family. Thus and therefore, I still do not dance. But I wish I did. Clearly he did not get this from me. Maybe it was the season of SYTYCD we watched together last summer.
The picture is blurry, but this (in addition to the move where he slides across the dance floor on his knees) is one of his signature moves. It's actually pretty impressive!
The more people that came out onto the dance floor, the more excited he got. At one point, he was dancing in the middle of all of the bridesmaids, threw his hands up in the air, and was shouting, "Let's get this party started!!!" I guess we'll need to keep an eye on this guy in his HS and college years!
We were at my cousin's wedding reception on Saturday. The music was playing, the dance floor was open, and there was our son... dancing his little heart out. But not just the bouncing around kind of dancing that kids will do. He was dancing pretty darn well. Growing up, I was not part of a dancing family. Thus and therefore, I still do not dance. But I wish I did. Clearly he did not get this from me. Maybe it was the season of SYTYCD we watched together last summer.
The picture is blurry, but this (in addition to the move where he slides across the dance floor on his knees) is one of his signature moves. It's actually pretty impressive!
The more people that came out onto the dance floor, the more excited he got. At one point, he was dancing in the middle of all of the bridesmaids, threw his hands up in the air, and was shouting, "Let's get this party started!!!" I guess we'll need to keep an eye on this guy in his HS and college years!
Summer Trip #1
Last Thursday, we loaded up the kids in the car for our trip to Howe/Dallas. The weekend was busy, hectic, and relaxing. How is that possible for it to be all three, you ask? I'm not sure.
The drive up was super fun and very relaxed. Time seemed to fly by. The kids got along great, Aaron and I had great conversations, traffic was light (thanks goes in particular to the Austin toll road), and the iPod provided the perfect soundtrack.
Friday morning, Aaron and my dad played golf (of course), while my mom and I hung out with the kids. She also made me some fabulous jewelry with freshwater pearls that I am crazy in love with. Here are the earrings. The necklace is still packed. Her Etsy shop is just in its beginning stages, but you should definitely check it out now and again. Check it out here. I was supposed to help her with pictures this weekend and we ran out of time.
Friday night, the kids stayed with my parents and he and I went to Dallas for my cousin's rehearsal dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse, which was really fun. Afterwards, we went for ice cream at Braum's. On a side note, I can't figure out WHY they don't have one in San Antonio. This is just wrong. We were also lucky enough to be able to have a night at the Westin, just the two of us.
Friday night we also found out that my cousin, Brendon, who has always been like a little brother to me, was in ICU. He had been working on his Jeep that afternoon, when the jack gave way and his Jeep fell on top of him and broke his back in two places. It was awful. The amazing part was that my uncle was there, and when it fell, he singlehandedly was able to lift the Jeep off of Brendon. This fact is amazing in and of itself, but you have to know that Uncle Bill has bad knees, bad back, bad everything -- and can't really even pick up his grandkids. True story. He is SUCH a hero and we're all so thankful for him! We got to visit him Saturday and it was just so hard to see him suffering so much. Thankfully they were able to do surgery Monday morning, and after a rod and some screws, he was able to be up! They think that since he's so young, within a year, he can potentially go back to being a firefighter! God is so good. Thank you for your prayers.
Saturday was jam packed. We went to my cousin's wedding (I photographed, Aaron officiated), went to visit Nanny & Pawpaw, went to see Brendon in the hospital, and finally enjoyed a quiet dinner with my parents.
Sunday we went to Grandma & Grandpa's house to finally celebrate Easter + Father's Day. We weren't able to make it up on Easter weekend, so my Grandma postponed the festivities until we were able to make it. So we had Easter in June. :) I'll post more details later, but it was an amazingly relaxing day.
Monday morning, I got up at the crack of dawn to shoot some bridal portraits up the road. When I got back we had a little time to enjoy the family before we finally headed home. We had a great weekend, and I loved getting to spend time with so much of my family. There are more posts and pictures to come, but I just realized how long this was getting. :)
The drive up was super fun and very relaxed. Time seemed to fly by. The kids got along great, Aaron and I had great conversations, traffic was light (thanks goes in particular to the Austin toll road), and the iPod provided the perfect soundtrack.
Friday morning, Aaron and my dad played golf (of course), while my mom and I hung out with the kids. She also made me some fabulous jewelry with freshwater pearls that I am crazy in love with. Here are the earrings. The necklace is still packed. Her Etsy shop is just in its beginning stages, but you should definitely check it out now and again. Check it out here. I was supposed to help her with pictures this weekend and we ran out of time.
Friday night, the kids stayed with my parents and he and I went to Dallas for my cousin's rehearsal dinner at a Japanese Steakhouse, which was really fun. Afterwards, we went for ice cream at Braum's. On a side note, I can't figure out WHY they don't have one in San Antonio. This is just wrong. We were also lucky enough to be able to have a night at the Westin, just the two of us.
Friday night we also found out that my cousin, Brendon, who has always been like a little brother to me, was in ICU. He had been working on his Jeep that afternoon, when the jack gave way and his Jeep fell on top of him and broke his back in two places. It was awful. The amazing part was that my uncle was there, and when it fell, he singlehandedly was able to lift the Jeep off of Brendon. This fact is amazing in and of itself, but you have to know that Uncle Bill has bad knees, bad back, bad everything -- and can't really even pick up his grandkids. True story. He is SUCH a hero and we're all so thankful for him! We got to visit him Saturday and it was just so hard to see him suffering so much. Thankfully they were able to do surgery Monday morning, and after a rod and some screws, he was able to be up! They think that since he's so young, within a year, he can potentially go back to being a firefighter! God is so good. Thank you for your prayers.
Saturday was jam packed. We went to my cousin's wedding (I photographed, Aaron officiated), went to visit Nanny & Pawpaw, went to see Brendon in the hospital, and finally enjoyed a quiet dinner with my parents.
Sunday we went to Grandma & Grandpa's house to finally celebrate Easter + Father's Day. We weren't able to make it up on Easter weekend, so my Grandma postponed the festivities until we were able to make it. So we had Easter in June. :) I'll post more details later, but it was an amazingly relaxing day.
Monday morning, I got up at the crack of dawn to shoot some bridal portraits up the road. When I got back we had a little time to enjoy the family before we finally headed home. We had a great weekend, and I loved getting to spend time with so much of my family. There are more posts and pictures to come, but I just realized how long this was getting. :)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
This Week [06.17.10]
This Week...
- Carson started swimming without his lifevest!
- Abby discovered the art of doing flips underwater.
- Had a girls night with three wonderful friends
- Got a new shade of lipstick that I never would've picked for myself, but I love it.
- Picked back up on my Bible reading plan (I've been a little lazy lately)
- Handed the handling of the family finances off to my husband.
- Got to hang out with a good friend I'd been missing. I had a great time, Amy!
- Decided to start reading again. I'm starting with "Boys Should Be Boys" by Meg Meeker.
- The kids went to a morning VBS at FBC Helotes and had a wonderful time!
- Wondered along with Aaron if there is such a thing as a "Baptist Church" potpourri. Ha ha. Walking into that church, the smell brings back many fond memories.
- Planned a July road trip with my mom to a family reunion in Mississippi. I'm actually pretty excited. My great grandmother will be going too, and I'm excited to see where she grew up, meet the rest of her siblings and family, and hear stories. Maybe take some pictures too. :)
- Packed to spend the weekend in Howe/Dallas/Scurry. Shooting my cousin's wedding, celebrating Father's Day + Easter (my grandma has waited to celebrate Easter until we could be there), and hanging out with the fam.
- Had some wonderful prayer times.
- Determined to watch less TV.
- Got a ping pong table!
- Began plans on our deck.
- And had an overall great week! :)
Enjoy your weekend! See you when we get back!
- Carson started swimming without his lifevest!
- Abby discovered the art of doing flips underwater.
- Had a girls night with three wonderful friends
- Got a new shade of lipstick that I never would've picked for myself, but I love it.
- Picked back up on my Bible reading plan (I've been a little lazy lately)
- Handed the handling of the family finances off to my husband.
- Got to hang out with a good friend I'd been missing. I had a great time, Amy!
- Decided to start reading again. I'm starting with "Boys Should Be Boys" by Meg Meeker.
- The kids went to a morning VBS at FBC Helotes and had a wonderful time!
- Wondered along with Aaron if there is such a thing as a "Baptist Church" potpourri. Ha ha. Walking into that church, the smell brings back many fond memories.
- Planned a July road trip with my mom to a family reunion in Mississippi. I'm actually pretty excited. My great grandmother will be going too, and I'm excited to see where she grew up, meet the rest of her siblings and family, and hear stories. Maybe take some pictures too. :)
- Packed to spend the weekend in Howe/Dallas/Scurry. Shooting my cousin's wedding, celebrating Father's Day + Easter (my grandma has waited to celebrate Easter until we could be there), and hanging out with the fam.
- Had some wonderful prayer times.
- Determined to watch less TV.
- Got a ping pong table!
- Began plans on our deck.
- And had an overall great week! :)
Enjoy your weekend! See you when we get back!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Road Trip!
Growing up, we were very lucky to be able to travel a lot. We never had lots of money. We were never extravagant. But my parents made it a point to show us all the wonderful, beautiful, interesting places that America (and beyond) has to offer.
We always drove, never flew. My mom is an adventurer at heart and a free-spirit. Half of the excitement of the vacation was the trip itself, not the final destination, and I still feel the same way.
We rarely ate at chain restaurants. My dad preferred to take us to those mom and pop restaurants we found along the way. As a kid, I always wished we could eat at McDonald's instead, but now I find that I came to appreciate and remember so many places by their food. (What does it say about me that I recall places by the restaurants we ate at?! Oh yes, I remember going to Memphis! We ate at that BBQ restaurant!)
We didn't stay at fancy hotels. Sometimes it was the Motel 6, and sometimes we didn't stay at a hotel at all. Sometimes we'd camp. And I loved it. I grew to appreciate beauty and nature in a deeper way that way. And when we did stay in a hotel, we thought it was the coolest thing ever!
These experiences impacted me so deeply and helped shape who I am. I'm not sure how or why, but I can't deny it's true. Perhaps it's the sense of adventure. Or maybe it's the realization that the world is far bigger than the tiny little corner of the planet where I reside. Whatever the reason... I LOVE to travel.
I've listened to John Mayer's "3x5" about 10 times since Saturday. That song just gets me itching to take a road trip. So...
One of my goals this summer is to plan an awesome vacation for as little money as possible. I LOVE road trips (this might be an understatement) and I LOVE getting a deal. We're trying to be a lot better with our money lately. But I REALLY want to go somewhere fun, relaxing, beautiful and exciting during our week off in July. So now I've made it sort of a game for myself. I'd already been thinking about it, but lit a fire under me when I booked a night for this weekend at the Westin in Dallas for $63 earlier today (I love Hotwire.com!). I'm feeling pretty good! Stay tuned to see how the rest of the planning goes well and if we're able to make it happen.
And I'd love to hear any of your kid-friendly, budget-friendly, highly fun, beautiful, and relaxing trip ideas!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Memory Lane
The other night we spent a laid back evening with Aaron's parents. Somehow we ended up spending a good chunk of the evening looking through old photo albums (I think it started when we were looking for the picture of Sandy's head in Shamu's mouth... but that's a story for another day). It was a lot of fun! I love looking through family photos, and it makes me even more passionate about my job as a photographer. Telling stories, capturing history, memories, and moments that might otherwise be forgotten. Abby loved seeing pictures of everyone and couldn't get enough. I think we all had fun. :)
My favorite photo of the evening. Love these two! So thankful that they're still just as in love today as they were then!
My favorite photo of the evening. Love these two! So thankful that they're still just as in love today as they were then!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Man Weekend
Yesterday Aaron and a few of his buddies headed out for a relaxing, and well-deserved man trip to the lake. I asked Aaron if he'd blog about it and he suggested that perhaps I do it since he'll probably never get around to it. So, I am going to recount the weekend in his EXACT words, since he's a little to exhausted from all the water sports to do the typing himself (plus with his recent injury, typing has become a little more tedious).
"This weekend, a few friends and I headed out to the lake to relax and unplug for a while. I didn't really want to go. I really hate being away from my wife, but finally she encouraged me that the time away might be good for me. As we drove out to Lake LBJ, I couldn't help but observe the beautiful hill country terrain, and the magnificent sunset. It made me think of my beautiful Breanna. What an amazing woman. I am so lucky.
We had fun at the lake house being guys, doing man things, don't get me wrong. But I missed my wife.
Mmm... breakfast. Steak. Yum.
On a sidenote, what's not funny about Nick being stuck in Taetum's life vest?
All in all, I had a good time, I guess. Being able to be out on the boat, flying over the water on the waverunner at 60 mph... it's a rush, no doubt. But that feeling was nothing compared to the way that I feel when I'm with her... the beautiful woman waiting at home for me. She is... she is... well... words fail me."
At this, he got a little choked up, and asked if I'd finish up. I think he really did have a great time. All, joking aside, I'm so thankful he has great friends that he can relax and hang out with, have fun, and who hold him accountable. Everyone needs friends like that and Aaron and I are both very blessed. So thanks to each of you, our friends, for making our lives better in so many ways. May you be very blessed for the amazing role you play in our lives!
"This weekend, a few friends and I headed out to the lake to relax and unplug for a while. I didn't really want to go. I really hate being away from my wife, but finally she encouraged me that the time away might be good for me. As we drove out to Lake LBJ, I couldn't help but observe the beautiful hill country terrain, and the magnificent sunset. It made me think of my beautiful Breanna. What an amazing woman. I am so lucky.
We had fun at the lake house being guys, doing man things, don't get me wrong. But I missed my wife.
Mmm... breakfast. Steak. Yum.
On a sidenote, what's not funny about Nick being stuck in Taetum's life vest?
All in all, I had a good time, I guess. Being able to be out on the boat, flying over the water on the waverunner at 60 mph... it's a rush, no doubt. But that feeling was nothing compared to the way that I feel when I'm with her... the beautiful woman waiting at home for me. She is... she is... well... words fail me."
At this, he got a little choked up, and asked if I'd finish up. I think he really did have a great time. All, joking aside, I'm so thankful he has great friends that he can relax and hang out with, have fun, and who hold him accountable. Everyone needs friends like that and Aaron and I are both very blessed. So thanks to each of you, our friends, for making our lives better in so many ways. May you be very blessed for the amazing role you play in our lives!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Today...
Today...
- I finally finished phase one of my kitchen (I think). Phase two involves new countertops and appliances. It will probably be a while. But thus far, I am pleased.
- I forgot that my grandma had sent Carson money for his birthday a few weeks ago, so he finally got to go spend it today. He bought cowboy stuff: a toy gun, handcuffs (or "handcups" as he calls them), and a cowboy hat. It's been super cute watching him all day. He's been 100% in character, and has felt so important carrying around that gun and the "handcups".
(taken with my phone)
- Speaking of handcuffs, they came with keys, of course. I kept one just in case the other got lost or something. I figured the likelihood of him keeping up with a little key for more than a few days was slim. Well, I was right. Except, I expected him to lose it, not SWALLOW it. Yep, that's right. Five hours in, he swallowed the key to the handcuffs. Thankfully, I have the other key, and they have the safety latch anyway. Never a dull moment here, folks.
- Downloaded 102 fonts to my computer. I have a serious problem. (Uh oh, when I went to find the link, I discovered another site with fabulous fonts. Guess I'll be at my computer a bit longer!)
- Aaron left this evening to go spend the night at the lake with a couple of friends. I think some time away and getting "unplugged" for a while will do him good.
- I was generally grumpy and impatient today. I hate being that way. Tomorrow's a new day though, right? And in the mean time, I plan to get on some comfy PJ's, go downstairs, and watch a chick flick (or two). Oh, and there will be ice cream. And hot fudge.
Hope you have a great night, too!
- I finally finished phase one of my kitchen (I think). Phase two involves new countertops and appliances. It will probably be a while. But thus far, I am pleased.
- I forgot that my grandma had sent Carson money for his birthday a few weeks ago, so he finally got to go spend it today. He bought cowboy stuff: a toy gun, handcuffs (or "handcups" as he calls them), and a cowboy hat. It's been super cute watching him all day. He's been 100% in character, and has felt so important carrying around that gun and the "handcups".
- Speaking of handcuffs, they came with keys, of course. I kept one just in case the other got lost or something. I figured the likelihood of him keeping up with a little key for more than a few days was slim. Well, I was right. Except, I expected him to lose it, not SWALLOW it. Yep, that's right. Five hours in, he swallowed the key to the handcuffs. Thankfully, I have the other key, and they have the safety latch anyway. Never a dull moment here, folks.
- Downloaded 102 fonts to my computer. I have a serious problem. (Uh oh, when I went to find the link, I discovered another site with fabulous fonts. Guess I'll be at my computer a bit longer!)
- Aaron left this evening to go spend the night at the lake with a couple of friends. I think some time away and getting "unplugged" for a while will do him good.
- I was generally grumpy and impatient today. I hate being that way. Tomorrow's a new day though, right? And in the mean time, I plan to get on some comfy PJ's, go downstairs, and watch a chick flick (or two). Oh, and there will be ice cream. And hot fudge.
Hope you have a great night, too!
Love of the Game
Yesterday was Aaron's first day working from home. While it's nice having him here, by the end of the day, he was a bit restless and tired of being at here. I guess that's what happens when you make an extrovert work from home all by himself! So when the day was done, we decided we'd have a family night out at the Missions Game. Figured the sights and smells of baseball would do Aaron good, and we'd all have a lot of fun.
Henry the Puffy Taco was by far the kids' most anticipated event of the evening. They love that taco.
And then, minutes later without warning, the sky turned black and the wind went from 0-60 in an instant. There was trash and sand flying everywhere, and people were running and screaming, and then the power went out in the whole stadium. It was like the Apocalypse or something. And then there was rain, thunder, and the craziest lighting I've ever seen. Needless to say, they didn't finish the game.
But still, it was a great night. There's just something about baseball that's good for the soul.
Henry the Puffy Taco was by far the kids' most anticipated event of the evening. They love that taco.
And then, minutes later without warning, the sky turned black and the wind went from 0-60 in an instant. There was trash and sand flying everywhere, and people were running and screaming, and then the power went out in the whole stadium. It was like the Apocalypse or something. And then there was rain, thunder, and the craziest lighting I've ever seen. Needless to say, they didn't finish the game.
But still, it was a great night. There's just something about baseball that's good for the soul.
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