memorial day

it's been a whirlwind week or so here. we celebrated meade's baptism (more photos to come), celebrated memorial day with friends, had a community cookout the day after memorial day (the big boys went~i sadly had to miss due to a nasty bout of strep throat---at the end of May, no less!). i'm feeling much better now and we're gearing up for summer! the calendar has already filled up quickly and we're excited about a lot of fun things going on. for now, here are a few photos from the backyard...

S playing the battle victim. G is scrambling down to care for the wounded.

meade's buddy~isn't he beautiful?

JD is very serious about his armor and weaponry

this is the "don't mess with me" look.

six months.

a sleepy morning shot

all wrapped up in our bed is one of your favorite places to be

with two of your sweet buddies

at six months you have one tooth broken through and another on the way,
you are working on sitting up,
you give big, wet kisses that you put your whole body into,
your "attack hugs" are simply one of the best things in life.

we love all 18 pounds and 10 ounces of you, precious boy!

hearts, crickets and strawberries

Sumner and Grayson were fighting over something and I told them they needed to take a break from playing with that particular toy and ask Jesus to help their hearts be kind to each other.
About 5 minutes later, Grayson came out of his room and assumed he could take the toy from the time out spot, because... "my heart thinked about niceness now."

Grayson, our resident cricket catcher, gets so excited about catching one mid jump that often not enough gentleness is shown the poor creatures. Today, we had an unfortunate incident where some cricket blood got on his hand. I said, "Grayson we need to go wash your hands because you have a little cricket blood on you." (ick, i know)
To which Sumner said, "Which is just about the nastiest thing in the world."

And in case you would like some strawberries this summer, Grayson can tell you how to make them:

"you just get a wittle bit of sugar, get a wittle bit of weaves, and get a wittle ice and get some fedders and a wittle bit of water and a wittle bit of green dots. and you get some wed gatowade."

Edit: Forgot this one!
The other day I nearly broke my toe by running into something in the master bath. I was dancing around because it hurt so bad. And then because it was the end of the day and I was nearly crazy (as I am at the end of every day) I got tickled, so I was alternately laughing and crying. Sumner looked at me with that look, like "Man, is she gone." and said under his breath, "Self control." Which made me only laugh harder and then he said, "You need some."

New and Improved

Well...the real new and improved photography website is due this summer. Man! These business steps take time! But, in the mean time I made a few changes to the current site to give it a face lift...it needed one! I like this look better...for the time being, anyway! Check out the new links...

What do you think?

four.

happy birthday sweet boy!

with your arrival, we learned to relax, to not take everything so seriously.

you taught me the importance of enjoying the crazy chaos that is life with little ones, because while it is nutty, it sure is sweet...and it goes by oh so fast.


at 4 you are the reason i can never find a ponytail holder or bobby pin (until i'm straightening your toys and come across one), why the springy toilet paper holder thingy is missing in both bathrooms (who knows where you've hidden them), you are the independent dresser who makes artful clothing decisions, the little engineer who is always looking at how things work and how to do it yourself, the resident cricket keeper, and the curly headed snuggle bug who still isn't too big to give mommy lots of hugs and kisses.

you define STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES

you like to be with people, you like to try new things, you are adventurous and in the moment

your sheer joy in the smallest of things is so contagious

and oh that voice. there's just not another like it. if you could keep it forever...
like those curls that frame your face...

you are a blessing that has taught this mom so much.

may 12, 2004 made life even sweeter.

you have our hearts, g love.

my boys

looking at them, all lined up this way and looking up at me reminds me
that they are in fact looking to me not only for their daily needs, but also for much greater things. like how to live, love, and respond. like no one else before them, they are seeing how i live life and Whom I run to for comfort and help...

that is a sobering thought

and brings me again to the realization of how desperately i need jesus.

today we
lunched in the sunshine at v richards
and played in caldwell park before church this evening.
it was a beautiful day.

no matter what the day holds, be it ease or frustration, i am beyond grateful for those 3 bright eyed boys.

today reminded me of the splendid gift that it is to be able to say these 4 words...

i am a mother.

a six year old's to do list.

it was all i could do to keep a straight face when sum worked up this checklist for himself the other day. can you tell what characters in stories we tend to want to emulate? he's all boy through and through ;)

in case you need a little clarification, i will translate for you. gotta love that phonetic spelling!

"things i need to do"

"spy " ✓

"rob the bank" ✓

"[be an] outlaw" ✓

five.

{five months}

sheer, squealing joy.
it's contagious.
so excited about a summer full of adventures with you and many more hats.
you have stolen my heart.

New Blog!

well....for some time now i've been wanting to create a separate more streamlined blog for my photography. i've finally taken the time to do it! i'll still keep this one as my family scrapbook, though.

so if you are interested, check it out here....you can subscribe to it on your reader and check back to see what i've seen from this side of the lens!

also, the hubby and i have a new and improved website in the works. so...keep your eyes out for it some time this summer, hopefully! things don't happen as quickly around here as they used to, but the reason for our slow progress is sweet indeed ;)

birthdays!

whew. it was a weekend, but a good one. i'm tired.
friends with one or two kids often ask me how things are going with three. and i answer that it's full throttle all the time. it's chaos. but it's a sweet chaos. life is full.

on saturday we celebrated sumner and grayson's birthdays with a combined party at sports blast. can't say enough good things about that place and their staff. my boys had a blast, thus the name, i guess ;) and so did their friends. i highly recommend it. it was so nice to let someone else take over the party and clean up and just write a check. i usually love diving in and getting creative with a theme and doing their party myself, but this year w/ an infant in the house it wasn't gonna happen!

after their party we celebrated my brother's birthday that evening with a family dinner, then on sunday the ladies of our church had a brunch at mrs. martha's house. good food. good conversation. good times. and now it's time to start the week all over again.

sometimes i get tired just thinking about it. i was talking to a friend at church who has three grown children about the balance of it all. i often say it feels like i can't get my head above water...or the laundry...and i loved her calm honesty in response...she didn't tell me that i am trying to do too much or that i should try to cut something out, because she's been there, she knows the multiple plates that must be spun. she just said, "...and it will be like that for a long time." she knows that what i need is Jesus and His strength and that the only way I will truly keep my head above water is by looking for His hand to keep me afloat.

four.

delight { a cause or source of great pleasure.




four months old.

you are a big fan of your feet right now. those toes are the only thing more entertaining to you than your brothers.

this is typically the position you get yourself in when you are in your bouncer. gotta get to those feet! just look at those thighs!

irresistible.

you love to be held, to be with the people.

you are starting to really get ticklish. which is so fun. we'll do anything to get a giggle. you love to "talk" to your paci, to be bounced so that you can listen to how your voice changes, and you love to eat!

i love it when you get that sweet look on your face when we are nose to nose...just waiting for another kiss....you know it's coming because we can't stop showering you with them. or when you stop eating to look up at me and grin...

you are a delight and the joy of my heart.

God, Castles and Cowboys

Grayson has really been talking more about God lately and saying Scripture back to us. Of course, we are encouraged to see this in him and love to hear his questions and prayers.
He also sweetly resides in LaLa Land 90% of the time and we never know what he'll say next. The other day Jamie took the boys fishing and all of a sudden Grayson shouted this out across the water: "God! Where are you? I want to see you! I want to see what you look like! Say something! Ring the doorbell God!" ~3.17.08


This morning, the boys came running out of their room exclaiming about a castle they had built with the oversized blocks they have. After viewing all the hidden passageways, I asked the name of the king who owned the castle. Grayson replied,
"King Spanehoder!" {he's quite good at making up names on the spot} "And Peter (of Narnia) is the Prince. And Susan is the Princess."
"Well, Hello Susan, pleased-" I started to say, but Grayson cut me off... "She doesn't talk to mommies. Only other tiny people." ~3.21.08

On the phone the other day with his aunt who lives in Texas, Sumner asked,
"So...have you fallen in love with any cowboys?"
~3.17.08

new eyes.

one of the things i love most about photography is how it has changed the way i view everything. i look at details, light and colors with new eyes...things that i once would have passed by now make me stop in my tracks. i am more awe struck by the beauty of God's handiwork. like when i open up the images i've captured with my camera and see my reflection in my child's beautiful brown eye...or when i look at one of God's creatures with an appreciation like never before. the richness of the pink of this flamingo, the texture of his feathers, the odd carriage and gait that this bird has that is entirely unique. the handprint of God can be seen everywhere.

firstborn

you are six today. what better way to start your first day as a six year old than by having your parents sing happy birthday to you while wearing silly st. patrick's day hats? after that silliness, you had a breakfast of your choosing: green eggs for the holiday of your birth, grits and strawberries! now you are off fishing with Dad. we have a fun filled day planned just for you....fishing, lunch outside on this sunny day, a trip to mcwane, and to the pizza place for dinner. i wonder if we can fit it all in?

last night i looked at you while you were sleeping and my mind went back to the day you were born. the day that i became a mother. the day that changed my life forever. i never knew such love. how those six years have flown and yet at the same time, it seems like just yesterday we brought you home to summerbrook lane.

now you are a big, boisterous, full of energy, front-toothless boy!

you are such a delight.

things i love about you...watching the wheels in your mind turn when daddy and i spell something (when we are trying to keep you and your brothers from knowing what we are talking about) and the light bulb moment that always follows. no more spelling for us! we are going to have to learn conversational italian or something.





the joy you take in learning. your observations of the world that are no match for my thirty-one years.
how you puff with pride when you do the things to help me or your brothers that only a big boy can do!

the high pitched voice that you soothe your baby brother with, the way you peddle with such fury down the bike path on our walks, talking to yourself in your own little world as you charge forward.

how your creative side is coming out more and more. you are really enjoying art. how you always seem to have a song in your heart these days. i love to hear you singing in the back of the van with abandon....like your life depended on it...whether it's three tall trees, hide 'em in your heart, or yellow submarine.


and a million more things...

you are my buddy, my gift, my sweet firstborn.

happy birthday!
i love you so.

It's official

I am officially a soccer mom now...and I love it :)

Sum had his first practice a couple of weeks ago and his first game the other day. He's very much into learning about the Presidents and all the different battles in history right now. So, he's pleased to be on the Patriots team...although there was a little confusion as to whether they were the Patriots...or the Revolutionaries....or the Dictionaries as he told us the other night ;)


Mom and her player before the game.
Good thing one of my best friends is married to a soccer coach so I have a go to for all my questions! Otherwise, I'll be buying Soccer for Dummies. This girly girl has a lot to learn about the world of sports, but I'm so excited! I could hardly wait until his first game.

Coach Antonio kidding around

One on one with Coach (trying to squelch a grin...so cute!)

Yes, that's the goal you want....run that way!
VICTORY for the yellow team! They won their first game.

This is how Grayson passed the time on the sidelines. He frequently reminds us of the little blonde curly headed boy on the movie Parenthood....

And I'm happy to report that no yellow or red cards were shown during the game....at least I know the terminology, huh?
;)