Summer Send-Off: Final Edition

I went camping this weekend.
It was freezing.
I dressed the girls in coats and hats and mittens.
I wore brown fuzzy boots and black sweatpants (at the same time...classy, huh?)
I shivered while sitting next to a fire.
I realized that summer is long, long gone.
And so, too, should be my Summer Send-Off Series.

Here's one final Hoorah to a season filled with swingsets and wagon rides, afternoons at the park and evenings at the pool. I'm sending you off with five of my favorite photos from this summer. I will hold my breath (and I mean that figuratively, as I don't want to pass out before I have a chance to eat all of my children's Halloween candy), until summer comes back to our region again (only seven short months, but who's counting?).

Scenes from a Dream...

I love Trick-or-Treat night, and this year was no exception. Both of the girls were so excited, we had perfect weather, and we have such a nice neighborhood to trick-or-treat in. I still feel the way I did last year...blessed and happy to see these tiny little girls running, skipping, bouncing, and twirling around the neighborhood. Ellie was happy about getting "treats" in her basket, but about half way through the night she asked someone, "What is it?" and the lady said "It's candy." Ha! She had no idea she was getting candy in her basket the whole time. You should have seen her face. She started jumping up and down and yelling "Candy, Candy, I got candy!" That was priceless. I wonder what kind of "treats" she thought she was getting! Here's a quick snapshot of our evening. These pictures feel like scenes from a dream to me...a wonderful dream that came true!

Summer Send-Off: Answered Prayers

Twenty weeks. That's how long it took me to believe that I was really pregnant. I was a dedicated journaler prior to that, and I wrote extensively about my struggle with infertility. But I didn't write one word from the time I found out I was pregnant until I hit the 20-week mark.

Thirty weeks. That's when I found out the baby I was carrying was a girl.

Thirty two weeks. That's when I bought the first thing for that sweet girl.

Thirty six weeks. That's when I told my mom that she could have a shower for me (not before). I was still afraid and a little shocked after everything we had been through.

Thirty eight weeks. That's when Steve hung up the precious words around the top of the nursery. All the things that I wanted to do when we had a baby. All the things I had dreamt about and prayed for. All the things that I finally believed we might get to experience.
Chase Fireflies. Roast Marshmallows. Build Sandcastles. Make Snow Angels.

They're simple things. They're things that we take for granted every day (even me, even after everything I've been through). When I saw these pictures, they reminded me of that nursery wall. Blow Bubbles. A simple thing. A thing that I had longed to do with my sweet kids.

Four and Half Years: That's how long it took me to realize that God had answered another one of my prayers. Blow Bubbles. It may be a simple thing, but it is a Big thing to me.

Sneak Peak for Sarah's Family

Two weeks ago I had the chance to photograph these sweet cousins. Aren't they adorable? They are all so full of personality and it is really fun to try to capture that when I'm taking family photos. And these photos have a special purpose...they are going to be gift-wrapped and given to a Grandma for Christmas. Photos make the perfect gift, and I'm so glad they trusted me to capture these sweet memories.

Sarah - I'm finished with the photos (just need to burn the CD's). I'll contact you to make arrangements to deliver them. Thanks, again!

Summer Send-Off: Tomatos vs. Peppers

Remember my tomato plantlings? The ones that were squeezed into pots with the pepper plants (just like I was squeezed into a tiny dorm room with a strange roommate and her beer-drinking, boxer-short-wearing, 20-something boyfriend)? Is it all coming back to you yet? Well, I wanted to let you know that my sweet tomato plantlings refused to be pushed aside by those pesky peppers (wish I could say the same about myself, but I only lasted one semester with that dreadful roommate before I ran to a new room as fast as my short, little legs would carry me). But not my tomato plantlings. Oh no. They're tough and they held their own, producing just enough fruit to keep bruchetta, BLTs, and Steve's special tomato pasta on our menu all summer long. And while the experiment was a success, I think we'll make plans to plant a real garden next summer. Because even hardy tomato plantlings deserve some space, don't you think?

Homecoming...

This is my niece. Isn't she gorgeous? I still remember sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, anxious for the news of her arrival. That was almost sixteen years ago. Crazy, isn't it? I used to babysit her and have little sleepovers with her at my town house (back when I was hip and cool and fun to hang out with... that feels like just yesterday, too!). We watched Mary Kate and Ashley together, she introduced me to Chucky Cheese, and she scattered flowers down the aisle on my wedding day. It's hard to believe that she's not that same little girl anymore. Seriously, the time goes by way too quickly.

Keeping Up Appearances...

I could show you this and let you think that I've got it all together...a house filled with dancing ballerinas in cute little outfits -Or...I could zoom out a bit and show you the whole picture...

Now that's more like it, don't you think? Makes you feel a little better about your own mess, huh?

I could show you this beautiful scene of two sisters, happily painting their little masterpieces...

But wouldn't you rather walk around the other side and see this?

I thought so. And yes...Kate is painting herself and Ellie does look like a Banchee Indian. So...the next time you feel like you don't measure up, just remember my piles of laundry and my colorfully painted children. It will make you feel better about yourself!

Summer Send-Off: The Little Waterskier Who Could...

If....

At first....

You Don't Succeed...

Tie the fronts of your skis together. It's much easier that way! Seriously...it is easier. I have waterskied a few times in the past without hooking my skis together, but for some reason, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do it this time. I thought for sure that it was the equipment, because it definitely couldn't be my waterskiing skills (or lack there of) right?

But then this guy came along and proved me wrong, again. He makes it look like a stroll in the park, jumping wakes and waving to the girls (both the wee small ones on our boat and the hot, bikini-clad ones on passing boats...ha!). He's been waterskiing since he was a preschooler, so I guess he should be pretty good. And he has informed me that we will have our own boat next summer, so I will have plenty of time to work on my pathetic waterskiing skills. Great. Must stock up on Ibuprofin before then!

Monday Morning Smile...

Have you hugged a llama today? You should...it will make you smile! See?



And the funniest part about this is that Kate was afraid to feed the other animals out of her hand. She just threw the food into them instead of letting them lick her fingers. But for some reason she was in love with this baby llama and when we told her it was time to leave, she just reached out and hugged him. I love that sweet girl!

Moms: A Call to Action

I've noticed something as a mom. Are you ready for this big revelation? Here it goes: We are NEVER in family photos. We hold the camera. We take the pictures. And while we participate in the family fun, there's never any proof that we were even there. That's not good. Someday, our kids will wonder what we looked like when we were younger and how we interacted with them. They will want to see their mothers in family photographs.

So here's the deal, ladies. It's time to get out from behind the camera. Who cares if we're a little "fluffier" than we used to be or if our roots are showing or if we didn't shower today. We are beautiful, happy, vibrant, loving mothers and women (if I repeat that a few times, do you think it will sink in?) and we need to capture these moments for ourselves and our kids. So...hand the camera to your husband or learn to use the magic timer that takes automatic photos or ask the stranger at the zoo to take your picture (and pray that he doesn't run away with your camera...ha!). And if nothing else works, revert back to your teenage days, when you stretched your arm as far as possible and took your own photo. That works, too.

Let's be the generation of moms who embraced the camera, shall we?



Thanks to my great friend Sheila (who Kate calls my "sister-friend") for snapping this photo of me with my sweet girls. I love it. But I am wondering why I have so much make-up on and why nobody ever told me that my cheeks look like they're on fire. But that's for another post, I guess. Today, we're going to embrace the camera...flaming cheeks and all!