Looking back to last week…

We had a great spring break….no grand trips taken or adventurous journeys, but staying at home for most of the week and just taking a “break.”  I only had one session and that was the first time in over a year where I only had to photograph just one session in a weeks time.  It was a nice break.

As I upload a gallery for a family who is sending off their daughter to Korea tomorrow for a year’s service, I realize how blessed my family is and how much I have to be thankful for.  Yes, it is her decision to join the military and it can take you many places, but it can still never be easy for the family you leave behind or for yourself to go and start a new life in a foreign place.  Godspeed to her, and I can’t wait to photograph your happy return to the United States in one year!

On a little more upbeat note to start this Friday morning, I have been wanting to photograph Olivia Claire playing with her (old $20 TV entertainment center) remodeled into a kitchen since her PaPa made it for her second birthday.  She LOVES it!  Spring break gave me the opportunity to take those pictures.  She loves to pretend to cook and it definitely doesn’t come from me.  A vintage apron she picked out herself in an antique store all tied up to fit, a new dress with tags that she just had to wear, pig tails, and I am not exactly sure what the thing is wrapped around her head? (I think it is for my hair)…but anyway, this is my sassy 3 year old daughter, playing and actually enjoying Mommy sitting on the floor photographing her.  My grandmother’s would be SO proud!  Oh, how I wish they could see my sweet baby!  I know they are watching from Heaven, but what I wouldn’t give to hear their voices as they talk about her little personality and who she looks like and who she acts like (my aunt Nancy does that sometimes and it is a good substitute ;)….Olivia Claire is as unique as she can possibly be- totally different from Colton-she can put puzzles together by herself made for 5 yr. olds and uses words with -ly on the end such as surely and lovely and surprisingly…I am telling you the kid is smart, but still my innocent little baby and she is growing up WAY too fast!

 

              

 

Last week also gave me the opportunity for Colton to have friends, well family rather, over to play.  We have not been able to have kids over near as often as we did before I started photography.  Afternoons are now filled with homework before I rush out the door to a session.  It is very difficult to arrange play dates with that kind of schedule.  So, Brayden visited us a couple times over spring break and we did the typical “dying eggs and water balloons” type things you do over Easter break when it is hot outside!

Lots of fun for Colton and Brayden.  Don’t worry, OC joined in as well.  These boys..it is little Craig and little Booty all over again and it makes my soul happy to see them play together.  It makes me thing of how my daddy, Tubby, Booty and Rusty probably all played together as children.  Big smiles from this mama’s heart 😉

 

       

(some of these are iPhone pics….I can’t get in the line of fire with my camera)

We also took our 6 month old Boykin, Cocoa, to the river for the first time.  He was a little unsure at first, but he ended up loving it.  We took him twice and can’t wait to go back with the boat.  He is our first family dog since Quincy passed away.  Now, I didn’t care too much for old Quincy, but he was Blake’s best friend and my children loved him as well.  He was their protector.  He would walk alongside them or lay down and let them rub or pull his ear or anything they wanted.  Cocoa is definitely helping fill that void in our family and it makes me so glad!  Blake and Colton have this grand plan to breed Boykin Spaniels when Colton is a little older and we FINALLY build a house.  I like this idea.  I think it would be good for the both of them!  Olivia Claire was NOT happy about the distance she was allowed to go in the river, she wanted to venture out a little further.  But, if you know Blake, he was constantly calling her back in to the edge.

I have had a Boykin Spaniel dog as a pet for as long as I can remember growing up.  It makes me so happy to see my own two children getting to experience that hyper, feisty, loving and playful puppy!

I also gave myself a present and had Gene Ho with Gene Ho Photography take my very own “Mommy and Me” pictures.  His wife, Nadean, normally photographs my family, but she wasn’t available and he was.  Now, I can’t compete with someone who has photographed President Trump for the past two years.  I mean, come on, he is Gene Ho.  But, I can take the opportunity to tell you that I LOVE the pictures and the fact that I took the time to get in front of the camera with my children.  YOU should too.  You will not regret it…I am still scheduling Mommy and Me Sessions in case you forgot 😉  I look at my pictures and it really hits me how fast my kids are growing up 🙁  These are memories captured that I will treasure forever!  Thank you again Gene!

I did some cleaning up, cleaning out and looking over more house plans (insert sigh) and basically just really enjoyed the week with my children!

Food for thought….How am I still renting the same house going on year 3 when I didn’t intend on being here 6 months?  Life is busy.  It is a pretty simple answer.  We will get there, but I just can’t be in a hurry.  There are so many more important things in life than a house.  After all, that is what moved us to Aynor in the first place!  I am working on it, but first and foremost, I am working on being the best Mother I know how to be to my greatest blessings in life, Colton and Olivia Claire.

                      

Now, the countdown is officially on for SUMMER!  It is close….I can feel it, can you?!