What we have been up to this past week.....

xI promise to still post pics from Pinnacle Mountain, but I just loaded my mommy cam, so this is what we have been up to.

I bet Suzanne didn't have this outfit combination in mind when she let us borrow this Princess dress. This is Teenage Spidey Ninja Sleeping Beauty!

This is my proudest accomplishment last week. I GOT MY LAUNDRY CAUGHT UP!! Look, it is my laundry room floor!!!
And look, this is the top of my washer and dryer!!!! Clay said, "Oh I am so proud if you, it only took you 8 years to catch up on your laundry!!!
I walked in to turn off Rachel's lamp...She cracks me up! I could do a series of all the crazy ways she falls asleep at night. This night she had wrapped her blanket around her head turban style.

Still working on the human body for school. I found a book that has a lot of great work pages that will go along with our lessons.
We began learning the Pledge of Allegiance

Noah finished his first Math book....he was really excited about that. And yes, we were having school in our pajamas!
The girls set up their "car" in the hall. They were driving to Jump Zone and Rachel was saying CHEESE for her kitty in the picture.

My Girls

Today we went to Pinnacle Mountain. They have programs every Friday just for homeschool families, so we decided to try it out today. It was really nice. Clay was kind enough to come along with me, and he brought his camera....and the kids were asking us to take their picture! I think they are finally getting the hang of this picture thing. Anyway, I have a lot of cool pics and stories to tell, but tonight I just wanted to highlight my girls tonight. I took these today, and the last 2 of Leah one day last week. I am so proud of my girls. They have become really good friends lately. When I was about 3, I began praying every single night for a sister. I wanted one so bad, and when I look at my girls, even if they don't know, I know how lucky they are to have each other. I did finally get my sister, when I was 11 years old, and she was such a joy to me.

Have I ever mentioned that one of the things that I always loved about Clay was his big brown eyes?? I always hoped our children would have his brown eyes, and both of the girls got them....along with his long beautiful eyelashes.

Wordless Wednesday

a double rainbow!

I am posting this from my laptop, so I can't really tell how this looks, but this evening about 6:30, I was on my way to the library, and I saw this in the sky!!! It is one bright rainbow, and then a very faint one right beside it. I am so glad I had my little camera in my purse, b/c by the time I went home to get the kids and went back out (about 5 mins time) it was gone, and they didn't get to see it. Man, I wish I had of had my other camera. It was the coolest thing!!

Me and my man.....

A couple of weekends ago we had a rehersal dinner to photograph at the Peabody Hotel. We got there early, so we were just looking around. I had my camera with me, so I was just being a goofball and took a pic of us in the elevator!

This sign hangs over the Ronald McDonald house door....

Today.....

Today was the first day to go to Ark Children's hospital. My head is spinning with thoughts and emotions of the day. When I worked in the nursing home, I dealt with sickness and death a lot, and I knew today would be hard, but having 3 healthy children of my own, it hit harder than I expected. I am so glad I did, and look forward to going again next week, but at the same time I am overwhelmed with the feelings I have. It opened my eyes to a whole new, and scary world for many parents.

I couldn't wait to get home and see my kids today....and I gave each of them the longest hug. And then, when I was tucking Noah in bed tonight, he said, momma, let's say a prayer. And I am so proud of him for reminding me of this. Although I pray several times throughout the day, I have not been good about doing that regularly with the kids. And my little angel tonight overwhelmed me all over again. I told him he could pray, and then I would join in at the end. He prayed for our family, thanked God for all our blessings, prayed for the children that didn't have any parents, the people that don't have anything, and the children at the hospital. When he was finished, I told him that was a perfect prayer, he had prayed for everything that was on my mind.

I will try to post a couple of my favorite pictures later. Thank you to all of my great friends that were thinking about me today and asked how my day went. Today was not about me, that is not at all why I was doing it, but your care and concern means so much to me.

DVR, or internet?????

At the apartment, our cable was free, so we just paid a bit to have a DVR. A DVR is the ONLY way I ever get to watch T.V. We moved to our house and got cable with internet included, for only $30. We moved here in the summer, all my favorite shows had ended for the season, so I haven't cared if I get to watch T.V. or not.

Sunday is the start of the new fall season. I have been asking Clay about the DVR so I can record my shows while the kids are up, and we can watch them when they go to bed. That is when Clay and I spend our time together, a time we both look forward to during the day.

So, now that the business is not at home, and he are having to pay for internet at the office (not nearly as cheap as this at home), then he said, internet at home, or DVR. Now, that is a REALLY tough choice! How will I e-mail and stalk everyone's blog all day long if I don't have internet here! BUT....I can't miss Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Men In Trees, ER, Desperate Housewives....those are the #1's. We have tried the old trusty VCR recording, and that just don't work. we can never remember, the kids remove tapes, our VCR recording quality is crap.... Plus, I really miss having that guide so I can see what is coming on, and then backing up the t.v. when I miss something....

Oh, decisions decisions!!! Clay told me I better hurry up and decide before Sunday! LOL

I wish I could share with you.....

The oh so quiet noises in my house at this very moment!! LOL

This is why I love homeschooling....

You are so calm......

Can you believe someone said that to me today? That just makes me laugh!

I ran into Krogers today to get 2 things.....of course, with 3 kids, you know even that is not a simple task! They have these small buggies, so we got one, and by the time I got to the cheese aisle, 2 kids had their turn pushing, and I had now taken over...b/c of the fighting/crazy driving...trying to run people down....you get the picture. Anyway, I had also told them to put the cloud in their mouth, hands behind their back when I was 1 row over from the cheese....the #1 reason for this outing. (the cloud in mouth trick we learned from preschool). So, Rachel was steadily grabbing stuff, and I said, "Please put that cheese back where you got it from.." and this lady beside me looked up at me and the kids and laughed, as I rolled my eyes, and she said to me, "And you are so calm!" Too funny! She caught me at just the right time! OR maybe it is the fish oil I finally remembered to take today that my mom has been trying to get me to try (it is said to be Prozac of the sea)LOL

Then, she went on to tell me that her daughter is pregnant with her 3rd and is working fulltime, and said she wonders some days how she makes it through the day. I told her I had worked full time with kids, and also been home with them, and I think that working is actually easier. Then, I said, well, different anyway, none of it is easy. I can remember when I went back to work after having Rachel people would ask how I could do it, and Iwould say, are you kidding me? Coming to work is the easy way out, I get to relax when I am here! As I was leaving, still shocked at her comment, I was thinking about what she said.....Her daughter wonders how she even makes it through the day.... I think all mom's feel that way! How do we make it through the day?? With the Lord leading us all they way through....that is how!

I will say though, I am so thankful that I was blessed to be able to stop working when I was pregnant with Noah, and then only work a couple of days a week at a very flexible sit down job when I was pregnant with the other 2. I was a horribly miserable pregnant person, and I don't know if I could have made it through the day, and then come home exhausted and take care of 2 kids. I have a ton of respect for people that are able to work fulltime while pregnant!

Arkansas Children's Hospital

Thursday I am going with my Photographer friend Kelly Haynes to Arkansas Children's Hospital with my camera in tow. She has volunteered through the Ronald McDonald house, and they will be hooking us up with families/children to photograph. I am so excited and thankful that she has included me to help with this. I think the plan right now is that she and I will alternate weeks that we will go up there one day. Also, they may call at other times if there is a sick baby that they need to get photos of in case it is the last chance that family has for photos of them. That is heartbreaking to think about. I am humbled to have the opportunity to provide these children and their family with pictures, or whatever else the organization needs us to take pictures of. THIS.....is the reason I love photography. Not b/c of the business, or the elaborate weddings people throw, but to give families lasting memories of their children, that they may not have otherwise.

Rachel's Birthday

My sister was looking at my blog the other day, and asked me where the pics from Rachel's day were. Hmm....I forgot to ever post them. So, here is Rachel's day of choice. Sunday, Sept 2, her birthday, she got to choose everything we did that day. Here is the rundown...

A friend had given her everyone a gift certificate to non other than Build a Bear, so off we went to the mall! Noah and Leah took bears we already had so they could spend their money on clothes and dress them.

BTW, when I fix the girl's ears, we always name it doggy ears, pony tails, pig tails....my girls love it, so we have also tried Kitty ears, and on this day, these knots on the top of her head are "giraffe ears"
Riding the escalator at the mall
So, Rachel's choice of food was Chic-Fil-A. They just built one across the street from the mall with a play area, and she was so excited to go. Well, they are closed on Sunday! They have one at the mall, but when they got there, it was closed too. So, we settled for Sbarro pizza.
She got to wear a sticker b/c it was her birthday. Don't you just see her excitement! LOL
Stuffing her bear
Noah and Leah posing outsidde BAB. Leah got 2 mini's that are just $5 each, and an outfit. Noah got a wheelchair and a doctor set.

Our next stop was Wal-Mart. Her choice. We kept suggesting funner places, but she just wanted to go there and spend her birthday money from her grandpa.

Walmart makes these little puppy dog cupcakes in the bakery. They keep them right by the front door, and she wants one everytime we go...so that is what she got this time.

My mom called to wish her Happy Birthday.
Rachel bought herself a play makeup set, and also a play hairdry and scissors in a dog grooming kit, so she desided to give me a hair-do!

Then she painted mine and Leah's nails.

Then Leah painted her nails....
And she even painted Daddy's nails!
My baby girl had such a good day....I can't believe she is already 4 yrs old! I love you Rachel Madison!

Party!

Saturday we went to the Parker's house for a small get together for Mr. Spiderman's birthday. My kids were really looking forward to it! I just love watching kids reactions and interactions when they are together. I think that is my favorite thing to photograph!

I love this pic! Rachel is always so stand offish, so I love to see her interacting with other kids.
Playing...which hand is the quarter in??

Love that static electricity!
Brothers....enjoying the jumpolean! (or whatever that blow up jumping thingy is called!)


I love how the sun caught the camera in this pic.
He's got the right idea after a day of fun!