Heart Melting Moments

Family Pictures Part One

2011-09-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

These were taken last Fall in Arkansas by one of my favorite photographers- Raye Law of Arkansas...
I truly treasure these photos and am so glad that I had them done!!

I will post more soon!

More Galveston

2011-09-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Galveston in May of 2010 was one to remember... I am sure there are many beaches that put Galveston to shame, however, I remember visiting Galveston as a child and it was within driving distance. My long time dream of the girls seeing the ocean had come true! I am so thankful to my photography friend Rachael for taking these portraits of us that I will always cherish. They keep asking me-- when are we going back to the beach??

Galveston Trip Part One

2011-09-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Fall Sunset

2011-08-30T20:45:00.001-07:00

Bad Things Happen to Good People

2011-08-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.morganstreetblog.com/?p=896

This is a link to a personal post on my Business Blog...

Something More?

2009-10-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

"Gotta be something more, gotta be more than this, I need a little less hard time, I need a little more bliss...." This is the song I heard on the radio this morning driving to work....
Do you always feel like if you had that one more thing in life then life would be perfect? I have been feeling that way recently. I've also been feeling that I'm never going to reach that dream.... Songs have always been more than songs to me. It seems like whatever I am going through in life there is a song that says it perfectly. Miley Cyrus' The Climb, and as it so happens Sugarland this morning are two of those songs that seem to be my life story right now. If you read this please pray for me, my future, my dreams, hopes, and desires and I will do the same. I know that God knows the desires of our hearts... God do you see my heart? Can you speed it up a little please?

And since no post is complete without pictures, since I'm a photogirl... here is my little Campbell from when she was very tiny, and then about a week ago at her birthday party. So big yet still so little!

Full Circle?

2009-08-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

I never expected my life to be like this. But yet, here I am a widowed mom at the age of 36 with three young girls to raise. When Jeff first died I was scared to death! How was I going to take care of anything and everything by myself? Well, I still don't have all the answers but I feel like the circle is completing itself in some ways. Trusting in God and trusting in what we can't see yet is the hardest thing. But I think something awesome happens when we let go of the fear, we become comfortable with where we are. I was telling a friend of mine just the other day that I felt comfortable with my life where it is right now. I spent all day last Sunday in my pajamas working on my house and watching TNT and TBS all day. And it felt good. There are other good things happening in my life right now and I'm just letting them develop but I'm letting them do so slowly.

So where does full circle come in? I know this may sound weird but I love Boston Terriers. My parents had Bostons when I was growing up, our first Boston Terrier, Bimbo (I know, weird name) died when I was in 2nd grade. Then we got Ben when I was in the 5th grade. He passed away when I was in college. I still remember going to the breeder's farm to pick him out. We stood back about 10 feet and called to all the puppies. The one who got to us first was ours.
So I have always wanted to have my own and for my girls to have a Boston Terrier. We adopted one about 2 years ago and he was an older dog, Campbell was still young at the time and there was too much ear pulling going on. So we found a rescue group to take him and I cried buckets when we left. For some reason this week I felt compelled to look again and we found our Boston!

So without further ado... meet Buster!

And this little girl .... she's the one who will grow up and have maybe 5-6 dogs... She spread out dog food on the porch so she could attract all the dogs in the neighborhood... so, Makenna, one will have to do for now okay?

Makenna's Big Day!

2009-07-15T05:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Makenna's 6th birthday! We celebrated with a trip to the mall and the "Build-A-Bear Workshop", did a little clothes shopping, and finished up the day with a dinner out at one of her favorite restaurants "Red Robin". We had a great time and then she was in tears as her green balloon from Red Robin escaped and floated up to the skies. Earlier in the day however she was quoted as saying "This is the best birthday ever!"

Sno-Cones and Summer Blahs

2009-06-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. I've got the summer blahs. Something good came to an end, something I looked forward to is now over, something good I thought was going to be a part of my life again won't be. I really feel alone even though I have my three girls.

As much as I appreciate the extra time to "chill" with my kiddos, I really do crave that routine of getting up and getting out the door. I know that I should enjoy this extra time with them because I know it probably won't always be this way. I need to stop wanting what I don't have and enjoy and appreciate what I do.

So I'm going to finish this post and head up to my bed to read a good book and maybe have a good cry, wake-up tomorrow and hopefully have a better attitude.

New Lens Practice

2009-06-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

So, I finally did it- I got a new lens! For those of you who don't know, I shoot with both a Canon and a Nikon, I mainly use my Nikon now, but up until now have only had my kit lens, and 18-200mm 4.5 f stop lens. So today I decided to purchase the Tamron 28-75 mm 2.8- yeah!!
I really wanted something different and new to take with me on my trip to Colorado Springs this weekend! I am headed there to 2nd shoot a wedding with Heather and I also get to meet someone else new :) I'm looking forward to playing with my lens and getting some great shots on Saturday!

Campbell's Curls...

2009-05-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

I love this picture! I know half of her face is cut off, but I think has such a sweet "peekaboo" look to it.... and love the nice catchlights that were captured at almost 8pm. I went out with the intention of capturing her curls that are more curly today because of the humidity and rain we had, but I'll take this one of her eyes!

Soccer Girl

2009-05-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

We had our last two games of the season over the last two nights. Morgan scored one goal in each game- I'm so proud of her! I'm also proud of her team and their attitude. Even though they only won one game and tied the last game, they aren't upset by this at all. They just go out, play soccer, and have fun. I love to watch the determination on her face!

Rain + Dirt + Hole = Mudpuddle

2009-05-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

She can't say I never let her have any fun... and she had an accomplice :)
Hmm, we have a soccer game again tonight. Same location. She's already plotting another mudpuddle fest- and like a good mom I'm game. This time she's wearing her swimsuit though. Campbell may even get in on the action! Stay tuned.....

Long Time No See....

2009-05-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy. Life has been good. Busy. I've been fairly busy with sessions, marketing for the upcoming senior portrait season, editing, and proofing. However, I have two sets of proofs to finish up, hopefully by Sunday at the latest, and then I have about a week before sessions start back up again. I plan to give the house a thorough cleaning!

I'm heading to Colorado Springs in June, fun!! Part business, part pleasure, but I'll have to keep you guessing on the details for a while. I'll also head to Texas in July to shoot a wedding for a friend.

It's hard to believe but the girls only have 11 more days of school left- eek!! I'm getting nervous about summer and what it holds for us as a family. I know I will be considerably busier than last summer and want to try and spend as much time with the girls as possible. I'm ready for fun swimming/splash pad pics!! I'm also going to try and plan a trip to St. Simons, Georgia, to give the girls' their first taste of beach sometime- my sister is moving to Georgia in July.

But for now here's a family picture....

New Life

2009-04-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

Our church releases butterflies on Easter. It was so fun to see the joy and the excitement of the kids, well at least most kids. Campbell was the exception to the rule. Makenna was a little skittish also- she didn't want to hold one. Forgive the blurrieness of some- low light and 2.8 aperture don't mix with movement too well!

I think I'm going to try and re-shoot my "formal" Easter portrait of the girls- some of you may have seen it on 2 peas- I need to recruit a friend to come and help me- and the girls all need bang trims too!

Friday Ramblings

2009-04-10T03:28:00.000-07:00

I had this little sweetheart in the studio today. I think it was one of my favorite newborn sessions yet! He was awake and asleep and took some great pics with mom and dad. There are a couple more on my business blog- http://www.morganstreetpics.blogspot.com/

My house. I really think I want to burn it down and start fresh. We shall have only two outfits a piece and two toys per child. Have you heard of those people who instead of washing dishes they just buy more? That's what it feels like right now. In a moment I'm going to go load the dishwasher and at least get something started on a cleaning spree. I really don't like having a messy house- I would love it if it was sparkling clean all the time. But at the end of the day of working at the studio, picking up kids from school, running errands, feeding the kids, working on homework, I have little energy left. I've decided that on Monday I'm taking the day off and working on the house.

What is up with the plumbing in this house? Our toilets get clogged anytime they feel like it. I mean really, I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with a 3 year old and 5 year old using toilet paper like it is going out of style. The other upstairs toilet doesn't flush and fill properly so I have to remove the lid hold the little suction thingy down, and then once it is filled it makes this fizzy chug chug chug sound. I guess I'll call a plumber for that one.

Okay enough ramblings for today. Happy Easter everyone!

Ten on Wednesday

2009-04-01T14:56:00.000-07:00

Goofball.

Yes, I know it doesn't have a ring to it, but I was going to do "ten on Tuesday" but by the time I had gathered all my thoughts it was Wednesday. So I'll try to think of ten for next Tuesday, but this week it will be Ten on Wednesday.

1. I'm having my hair colored tomorrow! Everyone keep their fingers crossed for good results!

2. I'm ready for nice Spring weather. Not stormy or snowy Spring weather! I've had to reschedule several sessions because of the craziness!

3. I have finally made the decision to move on in my life regarding relationships. You can't hold on to someone who doesn't want to be held onto. So what does this mean? I'm putting myself out there and open to new possibilities.

4. Why do I love children's clothing so much? I seriously think I have a problem. I like to buy too many cute things for my girls- more than I buy for myself. I am really trying to scale back as they have way too much stuff.

5. I am planning a Spring photo shoot of my girls. My goal is to get a canvas worthy shot of the three of them together. Wish me luck. I have a pose in mind that I saw somewhere- (I'm sure 2peas) of three kids laying down in the grass with their heads together.

6. I really want to take a bubble bath tonight. Let's see if it happens.

7. I want to go on a trip with some girlfriends sometime soon- somewhere fun and sunny- I have some certain people in mind JBW and BYR.

8. I am looking forward to watching Morgan play her 2nd soccer game on Saturday. I'm hoping we are more evenly matched than last time!

9. I am currently shooting images for a local pre-school- I will finish by early next week. I need good vibes for lots of post-production proofing energy!

10. I have turned Campbell into a food show junkie. Every night she wants to watch "Diners, drive-ins, and Dives" with me!

2009-03-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

Campbell's interesting choice of snow gear and Makenna taking a break while mommy works hard on our snow fort!

this beautiful snow soon turned to this...

lots of spring mud puddles...

Miss Makenna

2009-03-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

I finally got the girls downtown to do a little shooting, however it was just Makenna and Campbell this time. I'll share some of Campbell later this week. I really like both pictures above, which do you like better of the close-up? B/W or Color? I'm thinking of ordering one of these in a canvas- which one would you pick? In the color version of the close-up shot you can see me in my orange t-shirt in her catchlights!

Side note of conversation between Morgan and Makenna tonight:
We were at Morgan's soccer practice and one of the little girls' brothers Makenna has a crush on and she calls him "her boyfriend". Tonight they were swinging and playing together. I asked her if he knew that he was her boyfriend and she said "he said he isn't my boyfriend, but I think he is" - Morgan chimes in "That's the way it is with me and Josh at school"
Those boys!!

That Face!

2009-03-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

What's that saying? It's so ugly it's cute?

Spring Beauty at the Zoo

2009-03-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

We came across this beautiful Magnolia blooming at the zoo today- I couldn't resist taking a couple of shots of it. I didn't get very many good shots of the kids. It was hot and bright and I didn't feel like torturing them too much. Thanks for looking!

A Large Visitor

2009-03-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

Our favorite summer babysitter is home for spring break and look what she
brought to visit! This great big boy named Bear! The girls were
in love with him. He was very gentle and loving with them and super calm!

Campbell's First Haircut

2009-03-11T15:56:00.001-07:00

before during

after...

Campbell has bangs. If she chooses to when she gets older she can grow them out- momma can't take it anymore!

Sweet Boy

2009-03-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

I had this little sweetheart in the studio this morning. There are more on my business blog,
http://www.morganstreetpics.blogspot.com/

I mentioned my friend Kim in yesterday's post, and I felt to compelled to share her story with you for your continued prayers for her and her family. Kim has an ongoing blog about her life and family, where she tells her story. If anyone is interested you can find read her story here:
http://bevinsfamily.blogspot.com/

Campbell in the Sunlight

2009-03-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

Beautiful light streaming in while sitting at the dinner table- couldn't resist a few pics of this girl.

By the way, we are getting potty trained-woo hoo!

Playing around with various conversions....

I respectfully request prayers for my friend Kim. She is going through a situation right now unthinkable to me but out of respect for her privacy I will not disclose the details. Thank you.

Warm day at the Park

2009-03-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

It was about 81 degrees here in Tulsa last Wednesday. I needed to work but I got kicked out of the studio so tile could be laid (couldn't bring the kids back with me after school). So we took advantage of the warm weather and headed to the park. There is a field right next to the park so we ventured out there for a few pictures to satisfy mom's photographic needs. Well, I mean really, the light was perfect and I had been wanting to try some shots in that field.

I am really enjoying having the studio. I feel like I'm actually accomplishing stuff there and at home. I mean I folded laundry today for goodness sake! That just doesn't happen everyday!

A fun weekend with Morgan

2009-02-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

I went to Wichita this past weekend to meet up with some other photography lovers from 2peas!

I brought Morgan along so she could model for us and she did a great job- she was so patient and cooperative. We spent the night at the Hyatt Regency (where I used to work) and got to swim Sunday morning before we checked out of the hotel. We then did some more shooting before we left.. here is some of what I came home with...

side note to let you know what a good girl she is: At dinner Makenna decided not to eat her soup and then I told her she could not have a cookie. Morgan came into my office and said "I don't know if I deserve a cookie because I didn't eat all my soup"- LOL!! - she told on herself!

2009-02-14T04:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Thanks to Jess for her owl brushes and to Amie- http://www.designsbyamie.com/ for her fabulous templates.

Oh Drama Queen!

2009-02-04T21:04:00.001-08:00

I'm finally getting around to taking pictures of my own girls for their v-day cards. Here is an outtake of Ms. Makenna today. This totally suits her, I thought about using it for her card at first....

Campbell My Baby and Her Baby

2009-01-29T19:22:00.001-08:00

Over the last few months Campbell has grown leaps and bounds in terms of her imaginative play. She and Makenna are always playing house together and today she brought her baby into the office to sit on my lap for a bit. Apparently I was the "teacher" and she was taking her baby to school. Ironically, the doll she is playing with is one of my dolls from when I was little!

The morning light was great in the office for a few pics of my baby! The middle one has a vintage action from VGallery. I love their vintage actions!

And if anyone was curious the last picture in the last post from Phoenix- that mountain reminded me of a beaver....!

Ice and Snow!

2009-01-28T19:32:00.000-08:00

Can you say cabin fever? I've got and got it bad. I'm even planning a trip to the store tomorrow so I can buy trash bags. Wow, that really sounds exciting! Tomorrow will be the third day in a row that school has been cancelled. At least we were able to get out a bit and play. Ironically, it didn't feel that cold out today- no wind at all. The best part- we are expecting a high of 58 on Saturday!

On the middle picture of Campbell I used the "vintage white action" a freebie posted on 2 peas a few days ago...

Phoenix Part 3

2009-01-20T19:37:00.000-08:00

Does this last picture remind you of anything?

Phoenix Part 2

2009-01-18T19:04:00.000-08:00

What's funny about this picture?

whoops. Area closed. We walked up from the opposite direction.

meet John- my boyfriend...

Phoenix Part 1- Matt's Big Breakfast

2009-01-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

Self-Portrait (Me and my Boyfriend)-Waiting outside the Restaurant...

I went last week to the Professional Photographer's Association- Imaging USA Conference in Phoenix- I had a blast and learned a lot! Since I was a hotel and restaurant major in college I really enjoy going to different local restaurants. One of my favorite shows right now is Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives"- so while researching restaurants I found this one that was featured on the show. It was great- I had 3 fluffy pancakes and the best greasy/crispy hashbrowns!!

I used some overlays and random blending modes for these shots- I thought they needed something a little funky/different.

8 is Great!

2009-01-15T16:01:00.000-08:00

My firstborn is 8 years old! Morgan celebrated on January 12 while I was out of town at the Professional Photographers Association Imaging USA Conference. So today I took a couple of snaps of her and did a little interview. I will have lots of Phoenix pictures to post in the next few days! I had a great time and feel refreshed although I have lots on my plate the next few months!

Here is the interview with Morgan, newly 8 years old!

1. What is your favorite color? Red

2. What is your favorite activity at school? Reading

3. What is your favorite t.v. show? Little House on the Prairie

(hmm, sounds strangely familiar) DVD collections are great huh?

4. What is one of your favorite movies? High School Musical

5. What is your favorite sport? Soccer

6. What do you want to be when you grow up? A Vet.

7. Who is your best friend? Kamry

8. Favorite foods? Baloney and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

when asked about baloney being in front of pizza, hamburgers, french fries, she did indeed say that baloney ranks at the top...??

9. Favorite places to go? The mall, Bass Pro Shop

10. Where do you want to go on vacation this year? Colorado

I love you Morgan!

PS: those are the few snow flurries we had today in the picture above

Oh how I long for some real white stuff, even if it is just for photography's sake!

Reading Together

2009-01-06T07:58:00.001-08:00

Ahh, I love to see this- the girls are spending time together!! They aren't pushing, pinching, hitting, scratching, or screaming! Imagine my delight when I came across them together on my bed with my big girl reading a story to her two sisters!! They are definitely not technically perfect pictures but I think I captured a sweet moment between them. One of my goals for this year was to capture all three of them together- at least once a month.

I used my canon xsi and 50 mm 1.4 lens- no flash. This will probably be my last post for a while- I'm headed to Phoenix on Friday for the Imaging USA conference. Thanks for looking!

Top 5, Part 3

2009-01-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

I'm sure I have many more favorites, I really haven't made it through all of my photos. I plan to title my folders differently this year that way I can easily distinguish between personal and business photos. Thanks for looking!

Top 5 Part Two!

2009-01-03T19:35:00.001-08:00

Anytime I can get a picture of two kids together it's a red letter day! I really like the smile of Makenna above- she usually has such a posed closed lip smile and this is definitely more natural.

Okay, here's my photography resolution for the year: try to get at least one good shot per month of all three girls together- hmm- this I think is more of a challenge than a resolution!

Third installment of Top 5 coming tomorrow! (With maybe a bonus image or two!)

My Top 5 (Part One)

2009-01-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm lazy! Well, maybe that's not true- I have a lot of pictures. I've gotten through about the first 5 months of last year... well, anyway I'm posting the first two of my top 5 favorite pictures of 2008... I will continue to share Christmas pictures as well, but wanted to start with these two:

By the way, Happy New Year everyone! What's your resolution? My resolution is to drink more water! I drink way too much coca cola!

A Favorite Christmas Picture

2008-12-27T20:26:00.000-08:00

This is one of the Christmas shots that stood out for me as one of my favorites. This is Miss Makenna enjoying her new tea set that Santa brought. I'll share some more of my favorites over the next few days.

And a funny story... we were driving to a get together on Christmas Eve and we had the standard she's touching me thing that goes on with all of the kids in the back. Makenna was at the heart of the mischief and I told her that I was going to call Santa and tell him to switch her to the naughty list- Morgan says... "That's what I'm talking about" without missing a beat...

Sweet Christmas Pictures of my sweet little Campbell

2008-12-26T06:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know only a crazy photographer lady would try this- I really wanted some sweet shots of my "baby" under the Christmas tree, well, I would liked to have all three of them under there, but... I wasn't about to wake the other two up. So after Santa had been here I went up and got Campbell and then brought her down to try and get this shot. She was closer to the tree but woke up and started walking towards me. I told her it was okay and to lay back down and this is what I got. The top photo is a nostalgia action, the 2nd a honey action- which one do you like best?

I took this with natural light with my 50 mm 1.4 lens- the top is a honey action. We were making cookies a couple of days ago and I was videotaping- I was asking everyone if they believed in Santa and Campbell said no. I asked her "if you don't believe in Santa who is going to bring you presents? She said "I want Jesus to bring me presents"- so sweet. That tells me she is paying attention in Sunday school!

Caught in the Act!

2008-12-23T05:19:00.000-08:00

Garrett and Campbell were playing so nicely together yesterday and when I saw them together on Morgan's bed I thought, hmm I should take some photos of those two together... I ran down to get my camera and came back up. They had their backs toward me and as I crept around to try and get some pictures they acted like they had been "caught"- and so shows the evidence- they had gotten into the candy canes!

I love my job!

2008-12-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

I love my job!! Today I had the privilege of delivering a photo order (see images above) to a client at her workplace which happens to be a bank. I delivered the prints, reviewed them with her, received my payment, and then went outside to the lobby where I prepared a couple of deposits. I stood in line and watched as her coworkers ran into her office to see her pictures. I could hear how happy she was about the prints and saw the joy in her face as she showed them off to her coworkers! I was proud of my profession and the joy that I am able to bring to others with my talents- I am so glad that I was given this talent by God in order to share it with others!! I was also mentioned in an article in the Tulsa World last Sunday, here is the link for anyone interested: http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/article.aspx?subjectid=211&articleid=20081214_211_G1_Photog374164&archive=yes

Happy Saturday everyone!

Overdue Thankfulness

2008-12-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

These three girls!! I'm so overwhelmingly grateful for them. Sure, they give me grief and lots of it. There is lots of "mom, she's touching me, mom, she hit me, mom, she's not sharing with me-lots and lots of it... but, I really don't know what I would do without them!

As I was sitting at my computer yesterday morning working, all three girls came into my office one by one as they woke up to greet me and give me hugs. Campbell likes to climb on my lap and suck her thumb for a bit, then Morgan and Makenna each came in to say good morning. Wow, my heart was lifted! I thought about how so quickly they will change and grow and greeting me in the morning will no longer be a priority for them!

I am thankful, for my life as a mom, photographer and business owner, I have a warm house to live in and food to eat. I have a car to drive and clothes on my back. I have three girls who love me, and for that I am so grateful!

Silly Little Campbell

2008-11-18T21:34:00.000-08:00

Campbell- 14 months old

Campbell is such a nutty little girl. She is so very talkative and comes up with some funny stuff.

I was getting out of the shower the other day and she needed help with her clothes, I, on the other hand was not dressed yet. So I leaned over to help her and she pointed to my breasts, and said "mommy, those are your biggers" Oh the laughter that came out of my mouth!

We've been fighting the stomach bug here! Keep us in your prayers for continued recovery and also for prayers for my new studio opening this week. It's been somewhat delayed but, I can't delay any longer- sessions are scheduled!!

Here's a few more pictures of Campbell for your enjoyment:

Oh, and PS- that's Zoe, our new puppy. Send me all the puppy potty training suggestions please!

Shame on Me!

2008-11-02T01:59:00.000-07:00

I've discovered that I'm a terrible blogger! Blogging for my own personal enjoyment seems to get put on the back burner, behind hmm... laundry, keeping the kids bathed and fed, the house somewhat straight (those of you who know me go ahead and laugh), and then of course, the studio. I'm finding the time to update this blog at 4:14 am, I can never sleep properly on the night we fall back to daylight savings time!

Those of you who don't know, I am in the process of opening a photography studio, Morgan Street Studios in Broken Arrow. It's been a whirlwind of picking out furnishings, marketing, planning, and in the process taking pictures, editing and finishing for clients.

To give you an update on more personal issues we have survived Halloween. I continue to find candy wrappers about the house and faces covered with a mysterious sticky substance. This week all the candy will find it's place in file 13 or if it's the good kind (chocolate) I will store it in my secret stash hiding place. I'm also a lazy costume mom. Makenna and Campbell were Minnie Mouse- they actually did have ears to wear, I just didn't know where they were and I could have painted their faces, but... I didn't. Morgan was Jasmine, she would have looked more like Jasmine if I had gotten her a black wig, but... I didn't.

This week we went to Hallozooween on Thursday night and then had complimentary tickets to Hallowmarine at the Oklahoma Aquarium for Friday night. That was definitely a fun event- a good one to remember if Halloween futures have cold weather since it is indoors. Some pictures to share...

I am a Soccer Mom!

2008-09-14T18:47:00.001-07:00

I love soccer- almost as much as I love football... not quite, but since my girls play soccer it ranks a close second. Most of all I think I love taking pictures of them playing soccer. The expressions they get on their faces are pretty funny sometimes- Morgan usually has her tongue sticking out and well check out Makenna's expression on the last photo. This week I actually got to watch both games- last week they played at the exact same time. Morgan even scored a goal last week while I was watching Makenna at her game- darn it- a missed photo opportunity!

I mean really, this game is entirely too long. Can't we be done yet??

Reason #2

2008-09-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

Why Makenna is not allowed to color with markers anymore... (at least for a while)

This was after a bath and scrub with special hand cleaner. Luckily a dip in the pool cleaned it off!

Reason #1

2008-08-31T12:57:00.001-07:00

Why Makenna is no longer allowed to color with markers.

Stay tuned.

PS If anyone has any helpful tips for removing marker color from body parts let me know.

Music to My Ears

2008-08-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

Morgan: "Mom, I think tomorrow will be the first day for me to wear jeans"

Mom: "Really, Oh I'm so happy" I'm jumping up and down "I'm so excited!"

She tries on a pair of jeans that have been hanging in her closet untouched for the last year.

Morgan: "These are soft. I'm going to wear jeans after tomorrow too"

Mom: "Hallelujah!"

It's the little things in life you see.

Since Morgan was in Pre-K she decided that she would not wear jeans. She wore "cozy pants" all the time (leggings or sweats, etc.).

In Kindergarten Morgan decided that every other day she would wear jeans alternating them with cozy pants.

In first grade the hate relationship with jeans was on again- no jeans at all.

So, here we are in 2nd grade and all is well with the world and jeans again. At least for a while.

She even wanted to go out and buy more! If anyone has the real Morgan please come forward.

Who needs Big Splash?

2008-08-02T04:47:00.001-07:00

We've got our own waterpark out in the backyard! The kids and friends created their own water fun on this hot summer day.

Okay, I know that all of my loyal readers are wondering where I have been! ha ha. I've been busy!! I'm going to try and post more often- now that school is getting closer to being back in session. Lots of stuff happening in my world- a photo studio in progress- please check out my business blog www.freshfromgodphotography.blogspot.com if you are interested in seeing more of my work.

I'm sure I have lots of stories to tell- especially about you know who... a Makenna installment coming soon....

Random Acts of Kindness

2008-07-02T12:33:00.001-07:00

I would like to thank Abiding Harvest United Methodist Church- a hometeam in action! As a widow I struggle to do the things that daddy should be doing. Grandma and Grandpa and other family members bought this sandbox for the girls for Christmas but I wouldn't have been able to put it together myself. When a friend at church approached me wondering if there was any household chores that needed to get done I jumped at the chance to have the sandbox put together. Last Sunday afternoon the wonderful guys and gals from our church showed up with the sandbox and a truck full of sand. On top of that they would not let me reimburse them for the sand- thank you for making our day!

Fun with Grandma and Grandpa at the Park

2008-06-22T14:22:00.001-07:00

We have a fun little amusement park at the town where grandma and grandpa live. It is a summertime tradition! The rides are all geared towards the younger set and they have $1.00 ice cream cones! For the most part the rides are only a quarter each (in some cases two quarters) and it's always a great time! They can't get enough of this place!

A Fun Memorial Day Weekend

2008-05-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

The girls and I spent the weekend at the pool. Make that 3 different pools. Since we have a pool pass for the town we live in we can go to any of these three pools. Each one has something different to offer. The first has an awesome kid area with small water slides, squirters, a wading pool with a little boat and fountain, the second has a splash pad and little kid area with a huge turtle to climb on, and the third is a small less crowded neighborhood pool with a diving board. The bummer part this year is that the slide manufacturer on the larger slides has instituted a height requirement for the slides- you have to be 48" tall to slide! Unfortunately Morgan falls about 1 inch short! Poor Makenna has a few more years to go- she was not pleased considering that she got to slide down all of them last year!

What a difference a year makes- Campbell is so much braver in the water now- she was walking on her hands in the little kiddie pool and almost getting her face in! I will probably start her in swimming lessons sometime this Fall.

I'm working away at my photo biz- anyone interested in seeing more pictures check out www.picturesandpieces.blogspot.com for some of my other sessions and photo of the day posts.

I have a few funny stories to share but I will post them later this week sometime- it's late and I'm headed to bed!

More Sneak Peeks for Jami

2008-05-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

T & H Round 2!

2008-05-20T20:43:00.001-07:00

A session I did yesterday with my old lens! Jami- can we do it again sometime??? Just for my pure joy and entertainment??? I've got to try my new lens out on them!

Been a While

2008-05-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

The busy aspect of life has caught up with me and have been out of action for a while here.

A few blurbs from today:
This morning Campbell and Morgan were playing "doctor" on me and Campbell so eloquently asked me to open my teeth. Ha Ha!
As always, encouraging Makenna to get dressed- if I have to ask her so many times and then do the counting thing- Campbell started to count for me- "5, 7, 8"

Still encouraging Makenna to get dressed while she is staring into space then says so quietly "mommy, you are not the boss of me anymore I am" Oh really.

Makenna poor thing had a hard time last night. She came into my room in the middle of the night with a nosebleed so she was sleeping on the opposite side of the bed (Morgan was already there in the middle)- around 6:30 I heard a thump and wailing. She fell off the bed and managed to hit her eye on the nightstand during the fall.

Campbell was so cute tonight. We were in the car quite a bit and she started randomly blowing kisses to Makenna in the backseat. Then I heard her say "I love you Makenna"- okay that's a heart melting moment right there. Luckily I had my camera in the car and made her recreate blowing kisses when we stopped at the wal-mart parking lot. Oh my poor children.

She's So Bright We Gotta Wear Shades

2008-04-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Amanda from twopeasinabucket, a.k.a. Indie Jane- we did a little photo shoot downtown and tried to get some good photos of my kiddos despite the lack of stillness. Here's some peeks at mine- I'm sure hers will be much better!

Power of Prayer

2008-04-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

Growing up my mom had a habit of praying for lost or misplaced items to be found. I can remember frantically searching for stuff that was needed and then we would stop and pray that we were able to find it. So now that I have gotten older I have picked up that habit and the girls are doing that also. Yesterday I was using my extra set of keys because I couldn't find the normal set. Last night Morgan informed me that she had prayed for me to find my keys. I said well "let's do it again because I still haven't found them" She knelt down by my bed and said "Dear father, thank you for Morgan, Makenna, Mommy, and Campbell. Help mommy to find her keys. And bless the nourishment of our bodies. Amen" lol- I guess she thinks that is standard verbage to use during any prayer (this wasn't meal time)! So lo and behold I went about my business walked downstairs and spotted the missing keys on the mantle. Campbell says a cute prayer too, you can hear her blessing all of us (mommy interpretation) and then she shouts scooby doo! Amen!

I'm Sorry Makenna

2008-04-22T18:08:00.001-07:00

Makenna and I continue to butt heads on almost a daily basis. She is the middle one. The strong willed very independent one. The I want to do what I want when I want to one. The major issue is snack time. She just helps herself when she wants without asking even though I have told her over and over again she needs to ask me. I am really trying to give her positive reinforcement when she does ask (which is very rare).

Last week she was creating a "water" slide on their swingset with glasses of milk. And sliding down naked. I was upstairs editing photos and came downstairs to see a trail of milk from the refrigerator leading to the back door.

She also enjoys cooking. with stuff. my stuff. The other day she was making a concoction out of grapes, mike and ike candies, butter, chocolate syrup, and milk. She absolutely broke my heart last Sunday. I asked her why she continued to make messes with real food and she said "I just want to cook". I told her we needed to do this together and she said "your busy" "you're just so busy all the time". I'm sorry Makenna- I promise I will try to do better about giving you one on one time. I admit it I am busy- busy with laundry, dishes, taking care of everyone, cooking dinner, activities, trying to figure out how I'm going to make it on my own, but I promise I am never too busy for you. I love you Makenna.

Little Mama

2008-04-18T15:52:00.000-07:00

My Morgan is a little mama. She is my firstborn and the one who has taken the lead on being the head helper around here. The fact that she does it so easily and without hesitation is what melts my heart. Oh sure, there's an occassional grumble, she's only 7 but for the most part she cheerfully does what I have asked her to do and then asks me "what else do you need me to do?" or "what else do you want me to do?" She has had a lot of responsibility put on her for a 7 year old. (For those of you who do not know, her dad, my husband passed away last August).

Today I made corn chowder one of her favorite meals. She wanted to help so badly that I let her stir the soup and start breaking up the bacon to toss in. She was so thrilled by this she said "You are teaching me to cook mama!" Makenna walked in from the playroom and Morgan asked "Everything okay in there?" She's my little mama. She's my baby! There are lots of days that I get teary eyed when I drop her off at school because I just enjoy her so much! I guess I just get to thinking that someday there may be a point where she's not such a mama's girl anymore. Morgan, for the record- I love you dearly- don't ever forget- and I appreciate you every day.

Bound and Determined

2008-04-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

To get a bath

note to self: do not leave 2 year old unattended for any amount of time with marinara sauce

however, I do want to congratulate myself from having her only in a pull-up.

My first "official" POTD- Photo of the Day

2008-04-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all my twopeas friends! Thanks for looking. I'm on theme from last week! Working on creating a new official POTD blog but having trouble with blogger. These were taken fairly recently with window light and ISO 1600. Did some color me happy actions and eye dodging.

No good stories from today. It's rainy and cloudy and we're all keeping occupied. I must get off this computer and clean house- HA- that is the story of my life!

PS: I only had one child in bed with me last night! I was utterly amazed! (and kind of worried)- were the other two kids still alive?

According to Makenna

2008-04-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

I'm the best mom they've ever had in the whole city. Wow. And this comes after I spanked her for getting into my hair putty and rubbing it all over her chest and stomach. Back into the tub!

I Wanna New Bed

2008-04-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

You know that Huey Lewis and the News song- "I Want a New Drug"- that got stuck in my head this morning when I took the picture below.- "I Wanna New Bed" "one that my children will not get into" "one that is mine mine mine"

You see, I have these punks. (Thanks pioneer woman)- for any that don't know what I'm talking about check out http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/ I have been reading her blog lately and stories about how she met her husband- she is quite entertaining. She likes to refer to her children as punks.

Anyway, these punks like my bed. And why wouldn't they? It is soft and cozy and it's a King size. However, when they come in my bed turns into like half- no make that a third of a twin size- at least that's the space I get!

Yes, usually at least one (Morgan) starts in bed with me. She has no problem sleeping in her own bed but on this particular evening I needed to wash her sheets. Then in the middle of the night Campbell comes in (this is regular) and then lo and behold there is Makenna standing beside my bed "mommy, I'm scared!"

Okay I've promised some heart melting moments- let me think....

Makenna was so thrilled with me packing some new puffcorns in her lunch (like cheetos only white and popcorn flavorish) that I got the cutest smile and a hug.

Campbell was watching the beginning of the movie "Matilda" and I told her "she's a magic girl" and she replied with "I'm a magic girl too"- and then "she's my best friend"

Morgan stayed home from school today with a tummyache- I took her to the scrapbook store so I could get a leg up on my current project. She worked on a page about herself and then when she was finished she whispered "mommy, I made it for you" hm.

This is a long post but I wanted to share:

Monday we had some naked soccer action in the morning on Makenna and Campbell's part. When I finally got them to get clothes on these were the choice outfits of the day:

dresses and snowboots! Don't call the fashion police!

Taking the Plunge

2008-04-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, so I've been told that my life is pretty hilarious sometimes and I need to start blogging (Thanks Brent).

I've named my blog Heart Melting Moments because my desire is to capture the sweet things my children do on a fairly regular basis. Hmm, I could have named it Meltdown Moments and that title would be more correct for today. So I guess I'm going to try and capture some of both for the sake of posterity. There will also be some fairly funny and unique stories thrown in to entertain and amuse you.

Today was a pretty normal day. Get up, take the kids to school and mom's day out, trip to Target, work around the house, go the scrapbook store to work on this week's design, pick kids up, come home, go pick other kid up, come home, soccer practice, Wal-Mart and then

THE MELTDOWNS begin...