My children in a garden....

I am really far behind on blogging. I still need to blog about Easter! I am going to try to get caught up.

This week....

I have and IEP meeting for Wyatt.
Ballet class.
Swim class for the kids.
Lyrical class.
My first ballet exam. (Grade 1 teachers exam.)
Scouts for Wyatt.
Ballet for Talia.
Fencing class for Wyatt.
I have to get ready for an ALL DAY shoot for the dance school on Saturday.
Proofing
Orders to place.

All that on top of the regular stuff.



Here are some images that made me smile. (Or sometimes cry, because they are getting so big.)

How to...

I lost my wallet.

K- stop laughing all of you on facebook.

That would make it my keys, my phone, AND my wallet in a span of a month.

Found keys. (Ran over in the middle of an intersection for a few days, bits and pieces remained.)

Found phone. (Inside a sleeping bag.)

Wallet? Well I needed to go buy some necessities for Wyatt's baptism. I took a small key chain debit card and went to Target.

After shopping I found out that little debit card was an old number.

I started to wonder if my wallet had actually been stolen.

I logged on to my bank from my phone to check for any large purchases.

BOY, THERE WAS ONE!!

Someone had a hay day at the Mac store.

I called Lincoln.

His reply?





"Thanks for ruining your Mother's day, " in an irritated voice.

Oops.



I cried.

Then he came home and found my wallet under the drivers seat in my van and gave me my present a few days early.

I love my new ipad sweetie! Even though I ruined the surprise.


So my title...you can fill in the blank.



How to ruin a great surprise
or
How to loose your stuff.

Pine cone family

Simone has inspired a new tradition in our family.

If she sees something small she'll say "baby" and show me.

Next she points to a bigger one and say "Daddy?".

Then she'll look for another to be the "Mommy".

She does this with grapes, trees, pancakes, poop, flowers, and shoes.

Funny.


I thought that was a great idea-- So I am going always be on the look out for 5 things to photograph on each of our vacations.


Here is our pine cone family.

"Mommy?"

Camping

We got two cabins.


We did all the camping musts and then some really creative new things.

The first night we roasted hot dogs and set up our camp.

We watched a movie projected onto the side of our cabin while we ate smores.

I endured large "only in Maryland" size bugs.

Pots and Pans singing breakfast songs sound even sweeter when you are the one listening to that music. Delicious! Thanks Ben and Rileigh.

Then we went to the beach.
WHAT?

YES! THE BEACH!

This was an unexpected little detour and I am glad I packed our suits at the last minute.

I was giddy walking with my toes in the HOT sand.
Lincoln was sneaky and went and got me a giant strawberry lemonade.

I LOVED THAT! It was divine.

My eight year old on his birthday, in one of his favorite spots on this entire earth!
(Happy Birthday Buddy!)

Could you just die from the cuteness?

THAT hat.
THAT suit.
THOSE curls.

My little shell collector.

Back to camp.

We sent the kids and husbands off so we could decorate the camp and make the cake.

They had a true battle in honor of Wyatt's birthday.

Swords.
Giant axes.
Shields.
(All rubber and soft of course)

Then from across the forest we heard, "Behold we return home from battle."

"Wyatt was triumphant, and was crowned king!"



"Welcome Home, We honor thee with a fantastic feast!"

A birthday feast.

Lincoln made chicken in a fancy foil oven grill thingy he made. It was perfect, no-- it was amazing.

I made my brother Brad's dutch oven potatoes!

Could you have a better birthday? I think not.

Birthday cake in an Orange.

Thank you Rileigh for this amazing idea!


Hollow out some oranges.

Fill 2/3 full with chocolate cake batter.

Place on the "orange lid" and wrap tightly with foil.

We put ours on the grill right above some hot coals.

I don't know how long? We checked them twice. (Unwrappwed and used a toothpick.)

One birthday candle and a song.

Then we gave them a swirl of whipped cream and ate them up.

These were delicious and amazing --with just a hint of orange flavor.

Wyatt is 8!!

This weekend was an ADVENTURE!

It was all about celebrating WYATT!
He wanted to go camping, and that is what we did.

First, this Mom has to sob about how big her boy is getting. I just can't believe he is eight. How has so much time passed? I remember my 9 lb. baby boy being put in my arms for the first time, I remember it like it was yesterday. He is so amazing. I love to talk to him, even when it is about video games! He is genuinely a GOOD boy.


Scroll through some photos that I love from his 8 years.

More about camping soon!

Cherry Blossoms

I need your opinion....

Which one of these images do you like the best? I am entering another photography exhibit, and I think I may use one of these.

one

two

(Click to see larger, and see if you can find the heart.)

three

four

five




Thanks!

(A few of them look a little cool....(blue) ignore that. I'll warm them up. =)

Apple picnic

I loved this day.

My new favorite angle....just put the camera in the grass! I love the way it turns out.

Sleep

Sleep, baby, sleep,
Our cottage vale is deep;
The little lamb is on the green,
With woolly fleece so soft and clean
Sleep, baby, sleep.

Sleep, baby, sleep,
Down where the woodbines creep;
Be always like the lamb so mild,
A kind and sweet and gentle child
Sleep, baby, sleep.


I love to read this poem to my children, especially Simone.
The NICU where Simone stayed was decorated with little lambs.
My Mom would rock her there and sing "Mairzy Doats" in a soft whisper.
Simone sleeps with a little lamb in a purple tu-tu lately.
She makes it dance every night by shaking it's floppy legs,
and she smiles brightly behind it.
Oh, how that makes my heart swell.
I have a soft spot for little lambs now.

tomorrow is for cartwheels

I've been struggling.

To-do list- I hate you.

I have so much to do tomorrow. So I've decided....
Tomorrow is for cartwheels.

I'll knock a few things off that long list, but the number one thing is to spend the day upside down with Talia and teach her how to do cartwheels.

dots

..

Two more.

Poor neglected blog. I will get to you later.

I have a giant to-do list.
The kind that makes you cry just looking at it.
Where to start?

1.2.3.4.5.6.

Here are six pictures out of the 700 I downloaded. NOT EXAGGERATING! It was exactly 700. How many did I mark as "keepers"? 435.

Check back..I am working on more.

I love how this branch frames the Washington Monument.

Five. That is how many years I've waited to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival.
It was worth the wait.

Let the download begin....

449 photographs.


That is the first card. I have two others.


**

Play date with friends.

Macro ranunculus.

Cherry Blossom Festival.

Easter egg coloring with cousins.

Easter egg hunt from today.



I'll share soon.