Devon, GET MY CAMERA!

The kids took a bubble bath last night. I wasn't sure if Morgan is old enough for it, so I bathed her first, got her out and dressed, and then put the boys in the tub with lots of bubbles. Since Chip wasn't home, I had to keep Morgan in the bathroom with me, so she stood at the edge playing with the bubbles and laughing at the boys. Until...

Hot babe

My youngest, Morgan, is such a girl. I love her in her shades and sunhat. Too cute!

Girl's Trip!

I'm back today from a much needed vacation-a girls trip to the lake! I had absolutely the best time with my girlfriends Gina and Donna, who I've known since elementary school. We laughed, partied, talked for hours, and stayed up whispering all night, just like we did almost 30 years ago at our slumber parties. I am refreshed and renewed, and ready again for the daily grind.

The best part of the weekend? New friends! Our hosts,Robin and Karen Ruff, whom I had never met before Friday, were truly amazing. I can not imagine nicer people. They were laid back, warm, super friendly people who had no reason to extend their hospitality to us, but they did it so graciously. I think we all felt very welcome, and we had a blast.

On the second day of our trip, many more people arrived at the lakehouse, and then the party really started. I met so many fantastic people and I loved every minute of it. I told my husband Chip when I got home that that is the lifestyle I want for us. I'll make whatever sacrifices I have to if it means we can have a weekend house on the lake, and invite friends to share it with us just like Robin and Karen do. That is my dream.

Here are a few photos from the weekend. I'll put the rest on my website in a day or so.

This is Robin and Karen


Just the girls...that's me in the middle, Gina on my right and Donna on my left. Behind me are two of the girls we met, Trisha and Wendy.


Gina catching some rays...


These are the best behaved kids EVER. I got to spend a little time with Mariah as we crossed the lake on a jet ski, and she is just a doll. That's her in the middle, her sister Katelyn in the back and Jonathan in front. I hope I'm spelling everyone's names right!
















Wow, it is so nice to get away, and even better to be back home again. I really missed Chip and the kids, who had a great weekend of their own.

Donna, Gina and I have made a pact to have a girls trip every year, and Carrie, you had better come next time!!!!!!

The reason I grabbed the camera

...and got this shot:



...is because I knew that any minute they were going to turn on me. And I can't STAND to be tickled!

I lost my cell phone

during my photo shoot yesterday at the Botanical Gardens. I am really bad about laying things down and leaving them there, but that isn't what happened and I can't imagine where it went. One minute I had it, and a few minutes later it was GONE. It hadn't been working right all morning, it said "no service," and so I couldn't even call it to figure out where it was.

I haven't told Chip that I lost it yet, because I keep hoping that someone will call (I left my name and number at the front desk) to say they found it.

Well, at least my photo session went well. I was VERY nervous since I was photographing the entire family, including the DAD. Men are not usually very patient about having their photo taken so I felt really anxious. I wanted to look like I knew what I was doing, even though I'm still learning.

My mom calmed me down a bit by telling me that most guys don't know a thing about how a photo session is supposed to go, and even less about cameras. WRONG! Turns out Rob knows a thing or two about cameras, and he has more equipment than I do. He even asked me if I'd like to borrow some of his stuff!

So my anxiety skyrocketed, but I don't think I let it show. I REALLY hope they like the photos. I just thank God that I didn't show up at the shoot with the point and shoot camera I had a couple of months ago. Talk about embarrassing.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite shots from yesterday. What an amazingly good-looking family, huh?

Dumb, dumb, dumb

We went on a weekend getaway with the kids to Port Aransas so that the kids could see the beach for the first time EVER...and I didn't take a camera!!!!!!!!!!!

I could kick myself. There were fantastic photo opportunites everytime I turned around-Morgan holding a tiny little crab in her tiny little hands, Garrett and TJ "jumping" the waves, Devon digging for seashells and crabs. UGGHHH!! And the light was PERFECT because we get there late in the afternoon and the setting sun was just gorgeous.

It was a last minute trip and we didn't have time to get even a disposable camera-everything was go, go, go the whole time we were there.

I'll just have to have these memories stored in my head instead of on paper, but its really making me sad.

The whole trip was remarkable mostly because my husband HATES the beach, and has said that he would never, ever go. So when he asked me at 11am on Saturday if I would like to pack everyone up and go (its a 3 hour drive), I didn't give him time to change his mind. We were on the road in exactly two hours!

We had a great time. We got to relax a little, hang out with our friends who were already there, and watch the kids play all weekend. For me, it was priceless.

Boys are SO Funny!

Yesterday, in spite of the impending rain storm which never really happened, I had a photo shoot with two of the sweetest kids. I won't use their names at the request of their mom, but the little girl is just about to turn 3 and her brother is starting kindergarten in the fall.

Like just about every girl I've seen, the girl was so cooperative about having her photo taken. She didn't mind a bit, and I think she kinda liked it! Her brother was a different story. This image pretty much sums it up...



If I were the mom, that is the image I'd frame! Of course I did get some fabulous shots of them both. Maybe I should take along a pocketful of nickels and pay those reluctant boys for their time. Its an idea.