Forgetful in my old age

I'll admit that I'm spacey. I lock my keys in my car a lot. I forget people's birthdays. I stood up a friend for dinner once. This Father's Day I forgot to call my dad. I got him a card a few days before, but then I forgot to send it. I was really worried about giving Greg a good Father's Day, and apparently my mind can only handle one task at a time, and I forgot that I actually have a dad. But the truth is, I have a great dad. He deserved a call, but he still said it was no big deal when I called him this morning. My mom accidentally left her mother's day cards at our house last month. One of them was from my dad, and I knew whatever it said must've been pretty good since he got a kiss afterwards! So seeing that she left it, after she was gone I opened it! (She knows this so it's not a big deal). It wasn't a major invasion of privacy. It said, "The best gift a father can give his children is to love their mother"...then on the inside it said, "and I do with all my heart." I thought that was just the sweetest thing. So dad, you might be forgetful like me sometimes, but you're just a really good guy, a great husband, and a wonderful Father.

just one

for jon & jess...more to come but I'm really tired and behind on my regular work :) I was thrilled to see that we actually got one good shot when the sun was poking through. Sooo worth getting out there bright and early! I hope you are having a good time on your honeymoon, and hopefully I'll have a new niece or nephew in the next year ;) just kidding! although evie has really been wanting a baby around!

tattooed tap dancing diva

Each time we go to the grocery store, Evie always wants something, so I tell her before we go that she can have one thing. Today all she could talk about was the candy she would get at the checkout. Well when we got to the checkout she switched gears and wanted tattoos instead. So I agreed that would be ok. She did check with me to make sure no needles were involve before we bought them. I told her since she's in my brother's wedding on Friday we would have to put it on her thigh since her dress is sleeveless and I wasn't sure it would come off easily. We did later put one on her arm, but she still wanted her pants off so she could look at it whenever she wanted. Later I was laughing as I saw her in this get-up doing some tap dancing. For the record, I am not one to put my 3 year old in dance lessons--she's self taught ;) Greg wanted me to grab the video camera but the battery was dead. So I settled for old faithful, and then I moved the table to get some "footage". :)

and just because the camera hasn't been put away yet...

I'm getting ready to take the kids to get some bubbles, so I threw Evie's hair in a ponytail. After I got my shoes on, I thought you look so gorgeous! I asked her if I could take her picture again and she smiled and nodded her head. She let me take it only if I let her make a mad face first. Then I told her under no circumstances could she look into my camera. That works a lot with her!

the most difficult kids to photograph!

I'm sure a lot of photographers feel the same--the hardest kids to photograph are your own. I don't know why, but my kids go nuts when I turn on the camera. I hardly get it out when I'm at home anymore, so maybe that's why they get so excited when I do pull it out. They have the same reaction after they eat fruit snacks, so maybe my camera emits some sort of sugar or red dye #5. Either way, I was laughing so hard (after I decided getting mad wasn't helping!) at their crazy antics. These were not at all what I had in mind for this, but oh well. Still blogable.


I'm really tired of seeing this bridge in my pictures, but for some reason we keep ending up there.





(crazy antics that made me laugh)

100% boy

We have some good friends who have some property outside of town, and we had a chance to go out there this evening. We had a blast, and Graham had a little too much fun by the water. He sat there for a really long time just throwing rocks and using a shovel and a stick in the mud. It was all I could do to get him to look up at me, so sorry no smiles (Graham takes playing in the mud very seriously), but trust me...he was having a good time as you can tell by the dirt all over him. His Uncle Jason will like this post, showing his boy side. I don't think he appreciated the post where Graham was playing with a baby doll :) I'm laughing to myself as I'm writing this, because Jason would've been really unappreciative of the outfit I had to put Graham in after he did this to his clothes. The only thing I had with me was Evie's pink Pooh Bear t-shirt and some of her daisy duke shorts! Don't worry--I'm not posting pictures of that!! Another concerned grandma disclaimer: we were watching him closely and the water he is standing in is not deep at all; it got deeper but at least not for another 10 feet.

start praying (but don't hold your breath)

My friends tell me I need to write this one down, so here I go. Tonight at our small group meeting, we were all sitting around eating pizza. Evie and Graham were smothering a 2 week old newborn that our good friends just had. I don't remember exactly how the conversation went, but I think they were joking how Evie and Graham need a baby brother or sister (a statement I just can't agree with at this point). When all the other kids had gone on to play and had gotten over the baby, Evie and Graham were still touching her and loving her, and you thought carseats were a safe place to keep your infant! Anyway, the father of the baby told Evie that if she wants mommy to have a baby, all she needs to do is pray and that his two older boys prayed for months for a baby sister...and God had answered their prayers. I laughed and took a bite of my pizza, looked back at Evie and there she was, on her knees with her hands folded by her mouth, praying for a baby.

Here she is several months ago strangling..I mean hugging...her baby brother. I don't think we need any more victims just yet :)