So I took some pictures of some pretty awesome girls

You know how great it is to work with kids around?

 

It really is great.

 

They keep the job fun and lively, they keep me on my toes, and they keep me laughing. Probably most important they attempt to keep me updated on what's cool, even though I'm pretty sure I'm a lost cause at this point. But hey, at least they try.

 

I've especially become attached to some of the seniors, so grab me some tissues come May 4th, would you?

 

 And when a couple of the seniors, Macy and Becca, asked me if they would take some pictures for them, I was eager to do it!  I wasn't sure they'd be worth squat, but I at least wanted to try.  

 

 

I am in NO way a professional, but I have learned a lot from watching Brittany. I even called her on my way to take them, "give me some tips please!" and I followed the directions best I could. 

 

I asked the girls if I could share them on my blog, "girls you will be seen by my tens of readers..." and they said that it was fine.

Just two years ago could I have imagined working around high school kids?  Not at all.

But what a sweet surprise this has been in my life.

So yeah, I took some pictures for some pretty awesome girls. And I'm so glad that I did.

Class of 2014.

About my visit with Tracey and how APPLE is superior

You know how hipsters think they are better than everyone? Like they are more authentic or something? Well I suppose there are all kinds of elitist groups like that and I'm ashamed to report that I do happen to fall into at least one elitist category: A MAC ELITIST.

 

 

I come by it honestly from my father, and it's true, Apple products are superior.

 

 

So it is with a sad heart that I have to report that my hard drive lost it's battle last week and we said our goodbyes.

 

So here I am using my husbands PC and feeling all sad. Well maybe not sad, but highly confused. However I know that my tens of readers are clamoring for updates, so ima make it work. (YOU'RE WELCOME PARENTS)

 

 

I did have lots of updates planned with lots of pictures downloaded on my APPLE, but seeing as I can't use that right now, I'm basically starting from scratch.

 

 

LUCKY FOR YOU, I did have a fun weekend and I did actually force my husband to teach me learn how to download some pictures from said fun weekend.

 

 

Tracey came to see me!! 

 

Maybe one of these days we'll scale the Andes mountains or wrestle alligators, but we all know that our visits are usually pretty typical.

I yawn and roll my eyes whilst Tracey takes hours to make decisions.

And I laugh the entire weekend at how funny she is.

 



Of course there's always time for me to decide which MK purse I'm going to buy.

Like how I held them like they might possibly explode at any given moment?

I don't even know.

But the fantastic thing about our "typical" visits is that we love them.

We have fun doing the same things. We have fun just being together.

And it always does my soul good to be with someone who loves me just for me.

Editors note: It took me four fits and 25 minutes to finish this tiny post.. I MISS YOU APPLE.

Love gets you up at 4:30

Love. 

Love explains why you will do things that under normal circumstances you would never do. 

For example, love gets you up at 4:30 on a Saturday morning to go with your family to an aquarium that is almost 4 hours away. 

Or maybe that's insanity? But I'm gonna go with love. 

So yes, we met my parents Saturday morning and headed to the Newport Aquarium.

We've been there a few times before, but it had been years since this last time.

The kids were SO excited!

And I was excited for them.

I'm not a personal fan of fish, BUT the sharks were really cool!

And I really enjoyed this fella.

I was glad that my parents joined us, but sadly dad couldn't walk it. But I know my dad enjoyed his quiet time alone on his laptop probably more than he would fish anyways. (hi dad!)

So yes both of our kids get a big kick out of fish and whathaveyou

But Hope has a downright obsession with sharks. It all started with that movie Soul Surfer and it hasn't let up, in fact she asks all the time if we can go to Hawaii to see Bethany Hamilton.

Yeah that's probably never going to happen, so pet a turtle instead.

I guess they come by this love of the marine life honestly from their daddy.

Maybe one of them will grow up and become a Marine Biologist.

Or a professional fisherman?

More than likely it's just a phase. But I'm glad we were able to do something fun and different that agreed with one of their phases.

Even if it did mean getting up at 4:30.

Bubble butt was our cue to leave

"Hey Hope you wanna go to Prom??"

DO WHAT?

You know, the Prom!! Where girls boof their hair on top of their heads and go with a boy that wears a slicky suit.

And how could that not sound fantastic? Plus dancing and a chocolate fountain? SIGN US UP.

WEHS prom was Saturday night and I did convince Hope to go along with me, I just knew she would love watching the girls walk the red carpet in their fancy dresses.

It only took a few minutes...

One fancy dress after another.

But sadly no more slicky suits like in 1989 :(

SHE WAS IN HER PRIME.

And she was all eyes and all mine for about thirty minutes.

Then per her norm she made a friend

Kicked off her shoes and was gone.

I didn't bother taking any pictures inside, maybe because I was too busy sticking my head under the chocolate fountain.

Or maybe because I was trying to hold myself back from busting a move with the young folk.

Either way I took our cue to leave when Hope was getting jiggy to a song like this:

Bubble butt, bubble, bubble, bubble butt. Bubble butt, bubble, bubble, bubble butt. Bubble butt, bubble, bubble, bubble butt. Bubble butt, bubble, bubble, bubble butt.....

About Mother's Day

Sunday morning I had some extra time to linger around and one of the first things I saw made me chuckle and nod my head in agreement....

As I do each Mother's Day I asked for the chance to sleep in and check it out, it was a whopping 7:11! LATE!

They held off as long as they could but finally they charged in the room and overwhelmed me with cards and notes GALORE.

And check out my breakfast they served me. CUTE!

We had a very laid back day of frozen yogurt, throwing the baseball, and movies.

Of course we missed seeing our mothers.

As I was looking through old pictures it was clear: no one will ever look at you the way your mom does.

"The best life is a life invested in someone else."-Dr Mounts

Which perfectly describes a mom.

As a mom I often wonder what's gonna give?!

 We only have so many hours in a day, and we cannot possibly fit it all in. Will I work on my closets in my spare time or go throw the ball? Will I scrub things that haven't been scrubbed since Noah walked the earth, or will I read a book with them? 

Then I deal with the guilt. I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL. 

But the truth is I cannot. 

Then I read this on Jessica's blog and just knew that THIS was for me. And I swear I'm going to tattoo it on my body. :-) 

Enjoy....


If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place,
but have not love,
I am a housekeeper not a homemaker.
If I have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements,
but have not love,
my children learn cleanliness not godliness.

If I scream at my children when they don’t follow instructions,
get frustrated and fault them for every mess in our house,
and have no grace and love
my children learn that Mom cares more about having things done exactly her way
than about listening to the needs and hearts of her children.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child’s laugh.
Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.
Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk.
Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love accepts the fact that I am the ever-present “mommy,”
the taxi-driver to every childhood event,
the counselor when my children fail or are hurt.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, and runs with the child,
then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood.

Now I glory in knowing that God’s in control and His grace is sufficient for each day.
All the projections I had for my house and my children
will fade away into insignificance,
And what will remain... the memories of my kids.

Now there abides in my home scratches on most of the furniture,
broken dishes with missing place settings,
and bedroom walls full of artwork , stickers, and markings,
But the greatest of all is the Love that permeates my relationships with my children.

Adapted from I Corinthians 13, by Jim Fowler.


I'm thankful for my wonderful Mother's Day.

 But mostly I'm just thankful to be a mom. I know this is place so many woman long to be and I don't take that fact for granted.