Groovin'

I just had to shout out to Kitty Foster and Wendy McKeehan for their first book now available at a bookstore near you!! I had the pleasure of being a contributor for this book and I have to say, it's probably some of my favorite work ever. They did such an amazing job putting this book together and I think you will absolutely love it!

Run, don't walk, to a store near you!! ;) And just to help you out a bit...here are a couple of online links...
@ Barnes & Noble and @ Amazon
Oh and congrats to cover girls Mindy Bush and Cheryl Manz! (and me...if you count that part where they list Wen and Kitty's names...yeah, that's my layout! ;))

And we also had a superbusy Memorial Day weekend. My fave cousin and her family came to town and that meant the boys had someone new to play with. Sofi took immediately to Ethan...but Turner took to Sofi! This photo was too cute to pass up - Sofi asked if she could hold Ethan's hand and surprisingly he let her.

Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie & Chevrolet

Oh yeah! It's the start of Summer this weekend and we've been doing it up right! It was a trip to the pool today with a cookout tomorrow, but the biggest event for us has to be the start of Turner playing T-ball!
It's a huge deal around here as my son #2 is participating in his first sport, especially because it's different from the one his big brother plays. T was in his element. He loved having all the attention on him and he did so well and tried hard. We always knew he could hit a ball - turns out he has quite an arm too! (Makes his Daddy proud!)









So pass me a hot dog, please! It looks like we're in for quite a summer at the ball field! :)

Shhhh..be vewy vewy quiet....

Every once in a while as a photographer (or more appropriately "picture-taker" in my case), you will capture a moment on camera that completely makes time stand still. For me, that moment was today...and I owe it all to my new 75mm-300 zoom lens. Seriously, I can completely justify it's purchase after the photos I took today - particularly this one. Because you see, this little boy in this photo is my most elusive of subjects. My soon to be 5-year-old NEVER has liked his picture to be taken, so that when I do get a photo of him, he's making a face or is a total blur. Yeah, he's *that* kind of kid. But with this lens, I was able to capture this shot - even from across the playground. I got my prey and he never even knew what hit him!

Oh Baby!!

I'm so excited about this!!
My first cover with BHG's Scrapbooks Etc is out on newstands TODAY! This amazing issue is a reprint of their super popular Baby Bookazine from last summer. The editors decided they wanted a fresh cover option and gave me a shot at it! So thrilled (especially when I saw I got to work with this sweet baby girl photo!) This book is a must have for new moms, expectant moms or moms just now trying to scrap those precious baby photos!

(And yes, Ann Marie - yours will be on it's way, just in time to find out if our baby is a boy or girl ;))

I *LOVE* 1st Grade!

And my very sweet, hysterically funny 1st Grader!

Today was Mom's Day at Ethan's school and we were invited to a Mother's Day "tea." Ethan proudly escorted me to his seat in class where I got waited on with Lemonade and cookies...oh and M&M's - can't forget the M&M's! They sang a song which was stinkin' adorable, then we got a massage, card and a flowering potted plant. (Boy were were spoiled! ;)) But my favorite part? Well, my absolute favorite part was a booklet they made with "First Grade Words of Wisdom." Each child had to fill in the blanks on their own and this is how my son's read:

*ahem*
First Grade Words of Wisdom by Ethan Goree

Better to be safe than in jail.
You can't teach an old dog new stuff.
A penny saved is keeping a penny.
Don't bit the hand that you write with. It's my good arm.
As you make your bed, so shall you get a treat.
It's always darkest before bedtime.
You can lead a horse to water but you can't lead a cat to water.
An idle mind is when your brain is frozen like when you eat ice cream.
Where there's smoke, there's smoking people.
A bird in the hand is worth $5.00.
A stitch in time is worth $4 or $5.
Actions speak louder than a mouse.
Absence makes the heart beat.
Look before you cross the road.
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man sleepy.
Two may keep a secret if you don't tell.
It's better to have loved and lost than to throw it in the trash.
The grass is always greener than a grasshopper. Sometimes they are brown.
A watched pot blows up.
Children should be seen and not be smoking.

Oh yes, I love first grade!

What a Difference

...a {school} year makes! Today was the last day of Preschool for Carson as tomorrow's field trip (to the petting zoo) doesn't really count! ;)

At the beginning of the school year, my little man would hardly look at anybody at school and wouldn't say a word in class (up until a month ago even). He hated leaving us and would cry terribly. It killed me and it was all I could do to keep sending him. But all of a sudden, he realized what a fun place school was - a place free of brothers bugging you - and a place where he could just be Carson. And he grew - and grew....both inside and out. And I'm in awe....

Congrats on your first year of school, wee man. I love you!


ETA: Ok, so sometimes a photo just inspires you so I stayed up til about 1 am scrapping this! :)