rub-a-dub-dub

 two brothers in the tub.

soaking it up

Hot summer days.

Cool Colorado nights.

Trying to soak it up.

soccer camp

Hunter participated in a soccer camp and the last one was today.   

Our sweet (and very talented) friend, Mandy, put together an awesome camp for the kids that included soccer skills, a memory verse, a weekly value (patience, teamwork, courage, confidence), and a Bible story that went along with the value they were learning that week. 

Our first day was pretty typical for our little H man...

tears. 

begging me not to leave.

telling me he didn't want to do it.

slight frustration from his mother.

notice the only sad child in the photo below?

I'll admit, after the first day I was ready to give up and try it again next year.

It's a fine line we always walk with Hunter...

being sensitive and understanding of his very tender heart...

but also knowing when to push him a little and break him out of his comfort zone.

Thankfully, Mandy was so sweet and encouraging and wanted us to give it another shot.  We decided it would be best to come early, get him settled, have me leave, and bribe encourage Hunter to do his very best and at least try things once.

It was a success!!

Hunter learned so much and was excited to go after that.  He participated, didn't cry (too much), and took home many important lessons.

He practiced his kicks during the week, re-told the Bible stories they read, and memorized his verse like a champ.

We all learned some important lessons about not quitting and trying our best.  

I'm pretty proud of the little stinker.  

Even if it did take a little bribery along the way.

And just for grins...

Thank you so much, Mandy.  

You have such a heart for our children and teaching them about the Lord...

while also improving their soccer skills!

What a blessing you are.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,

 just like you are working for God."

Colossians 3:23

morgan {senior pictures}

This could be one of my favorite Senior photo shoots to date.  

Morgan and her mom, Michelle, came all the way from Kansas so that I could do her shoot!

She is beautiful.  

Seriously.

Inside and out.  

They are headed back to Kansas today and I promised to give a quick sneak peek...

Enjoy!

Such a fun shoot.  Thanks for coming, ladies!

Lots more to come!

2010 {collage}

Working on organizing photos and putting together a yearly collage.  

Here is our 2010 in review.

What a year.

It was fun to reminisce a little.

Busy weekend coming up with two photo shoots and a "to-do list" a mile long.

Happy Weekend!

peek-a-boo

We're still here.

So busy...but still here.

The past month and a half has looked a little like this:

-sweet friend from kansas visits

-swim lessons

-soccer camp

-rodeo

-INDEPENDENCE DAY!

-lots of backyard fun

-chipping away at updating the new house

-photo shoots

-trip to Nebraska

-tears and tantrums that accompany a teething 1 year old & a testing 3 year old.

-friends, family, and summer goodness

Needless to say, I haven't been blogging.

But I miss it.

And I have hundreds of darling pictures (don't worry, I won't be showing them all) that go along with all of these things...well, with the exception of the tears and tantrums.

I never actually get around to printing my pictures or doing anything with the thousands that I take, so I really should keep up on this little ol' blog...if for no other reason, to try and make some sense of all the happenings that wind up on my camera...and then my external hard drive :)

I'm not gonna be the cool blog or the blog that gives lots of inspiration and awesome crafty ideas. I'm finally ok with that. I'm just gonna work on documenting my kiddos, the happenings of our lives, and the things that make my heart happy.

So, I'll be working on getting caught up...

and once I am (sometime next year) I am going to try to post at least a picture a day.

Sounds like a lofty goal (for me, at least) but I'm going for it.

check ya later.

remembering grandpa

This Father's Day took a really unexpected turn.

We were celebrating Michael and the amazing father that he is to our boys when I got a call from my sister saying that my grandpa had taken a turn for the worse.

She said I needed to get in the car and go...right then.

I prayed I would make it in time to see him one last time and talk with him.

He was unresponsive when I got there but still with us.

Family surrounded him and he was not alone.

So very thankful for that.

He was just shy of turning 88.

We are going to miss him terribly.

And somehow I am full of regrets about how we should have made more time....

He was such a wonderful grandpa.

Funny...really, really, really funny.

Genuine.

Tender.

An amazing story teller.

Did I mention he was funny?

Oh, and he cussed like a sailor.

But I know he had Jesus in his heart and I have hope that I will see him again.

No matter what the age and how prepared we think we are...

It's just never easy.

He will be greatly missed.

Gramps,

So thankful you have shed the pains that crippled your body and you are dancing with grandma on the golden streets of heaven.

I can hear the laughter now.

What a blessing and joy you were to me and to my boys.

You will not soon be forgotten.

All my love.