Monday Confessions & an August special!!!

Let me start by saying, August when did you get here?! We've been swept up in a weekend of birthdays! I am sorry friends for the inconsistency the last few weeks in my confessions and photography posting. I guess it's like the saying life gets in the way when you're busy making plans?!

1. I confess we got a speeding ticket on vacation. It was a bummer but didn't really let it get to us...until last Monday that is. We learned that the NC system makes you either pay a lawyer or report to court in our situation. I got that news on top of some other bad news so that's why I told last Monday to go step on a lego!

2. I am really trying to let the speeding ticket be water under the bridge...really...expensive water...but water under the bridge :) 

3. My fitness goals have been going well this past month! I worked out consistently with the new T25 workout, did my shakeology and found it to all be a good thing for me. I learned that I am bad at "clean eating" but need to work towards doing more of it. 

4. Due to the cross training I've been doing the last few months, I was able to run 3.5 miles Saturday afternoon on my own with no stopping and honestly, feeling good. I know that means I should up the mileage but I usually am on a time crunch. I am proud of my old girl self though, I feel as good as I did playing lacrosse every day when I was 18. Exercise does keep you young!

5. The rainy day Saturday prompted me to want to cook. I tested out a great brocolli cheddar crock pot soup recipe that I highly recommend. It was very easy and gave Panera a run for their money! 

6. This brings me to another point...as summer fades to fall I get so excited. I love the change into the cooler weather, which usually turns me into a baking fiend. I havw always loved that first chill in the air which requires long sleeves. I am not ready yet though to say goodbye to my tan and the pool days so I think I will hold on just a little bit longer!

7. Vacation already feels like a distant memory but it was a beautiful week at the beach with some of our closest friends!. I adored the opportunity we had to be together and enjoy our young families (as exhausting as 5 kids ages 4 and under can be at times :) 

I did take some pictures of course and am working on pulling together a photo book from our week together so forgive me not posting more! I love the above shot my friend grabbed for us in the fading daylight. The kids were "over" it but I was determined to get a family snapshot for the memory book! 

8. I had a funny realization on vacation...I am a Jersey shore girl at heart because all I cared about was "Gym, Tan, and laundry" that week! I was doing my workouts, hitting the beach with the fam and WISHING we had our own laundry. I am apparently a laundry addict at home to try to keep up with it all and not having our own units in our beach condo was driving me a little bonkers....GTL for LIFE!!!

9. MY kids bedtime is JACKED up right now! We usually get them in bed around 7:30/7:45 but the summer has just kept creeping it back and back. This week we have barely got them tucked and settled by 9! They still wake up at the crack of dawn so there's no sleeping in :/ As it get closer to school time again, we need to slowy get it back in order. How are you other mom's dealing with this issue?

10. An August mini session special will be announced this week....keep your eyes peeled!!!

Leaving you with a laugh..... It all comes with the territory!

Have a great week!

Monday Confessions

I had a lot to say but I just got some really frustrating news so I am going to leave you all with this for the moment....

Monday Confessions

Do you all feel like you don't know what day it is?! With the fourth of July last week, I am lost. I also apologize to my regular readers for totally neglecting the Monday confessions last week. I literally had a marathon day and it just didn't happen!

1. As for today, I think I offically arrived at soccer mom status! The twins are doing a week of morning soccer camp to learn the sport, have some fun and burn some energy. I was just so thankful that the heat let up just a little. When I picked the kids up Dean said, "I am sweating to death Mom." I told him it was good for him and to drink some gatorade. Kids need to toughen up :) (Dean already outgrew the cleats I bought a month ago so we will be exchanging those!) 

2. Today I am also starting a T25 beachbody challnege group with a few friends. I have already done my workout and shake for the day...just might die trying all this "clean eating" though. Hold me accountable friends!

3. How was your 4th of July? We had an awesome morning down on the bay with my mom and the kids. I felt a little bit like we were in "Mayberry" with the town party complete with cardboard boat races, water balloon tosses and face painting. It was great! We then wrapped it up with a few friends in our yard because we have a good view of our town's fireworks. All in all, a great day to celebrate America!

I want to always remember her like this :)

4. Keep your eyes peeled if you are thinking about a photo session with me, August Specials will be released in the next week or so! 

Have a great week friends, that's all I can confess today :) I have to go get those sweaty soccer players taken care of...

Photographer Confession

Have you ever wondered if photographers get nervous? Well of course we get nervous at times! I also should say that we anticipate and feel moments in weddings, just like guests! Matt (my very cute second shooter and husband) caught an image of me last month as I was awaiting the bride coming down the aisle. I think it says a lot, I am full of both anticipation just to see her and to capture the moments, as well as thinking how I will technically pull it off! (I will also note I need to correct my posture when hauling camera gear )

I also occasionally get asked questions about wardrobe for photographers. If you are still dressing in all black, that's your thing....I,personally am not going to a funeral, so I won't dress like it! I most often dress like a guest would. I usually choose things though like dresses with pockets that I can move around in. On this summer day, I was perfectly comfortable in this dress and flat sandals. I even climbed a ladder for a shot, although that's not always necessary!

A goal of mine as a photographer is to both capture the day and blend into the day. At the end of this wedding, as I said my goodbyes, the mother of the bride said "You were lovely, we barely noticed you were here." I take that as a high compliment. She didn't mean that I didn't direct or interact, because we had plenty of that....but I fall into the scene as the wedding unfolds. I am a part of the day, not an obnoxious force to just be endured (we've sadly all had those types of photographer experiences.) Anyhow friends, enjoy your holiday weekend!

Sneak Peek

Hey friends, hope your week is going well! I have been busy over here working on a wedding and heading off to another shoot today. Thought I would share some of the pretty from last weekend's wedding with you!

Monday Confessions

I really just had to ask myself and then confirm that it is indeed Monday afternoon already! Friends, how is it the last week of June and my babies turn 4 on Saturday?!!

Here's what I confess today....

1. I did Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred at 7:30 am and wanted to die. Busy weekend and humidity returning made me really have to push. 

2. I confess I ate half a bag of smores goldfish yesterday. Yes, it was a small bag but a bag none the less. It's these fabulous mini-marshmallows, graham and chocolate goldfish. It makes a smore in your mouth! There's worse snacks right?!

3. Shawn T. from Team Beachbody releases T25 today and I am going to hop in a July challenge group with a friend. I don't think that they will allow goldfish bag eaters into the group so I am going to need to pull it together!

4. I am reading the best book right now, perfect for where I am right now. If you haven't checked out the Momastery blog, you are missing out! Glennon Melton recenetly released her writings into a book, which is hilarious musings on life and motherhood. I so want to be her BFF.

Best advice yet...a smiley bag on your head when you're really muttering under your breath!

5. Macy learned to write her name over the weekend on her own! I have been writing it in dotted letters for her to trace and she finally went out on her own!

6. For any of you concerned after a FB status I posted yesterday about loss...not to worry, no one died. I just have had a lot of business ups and downs lately. It's been hard because it's confusing, but I know I always have room to learn about business. It's especially difficult when I get many emails a week of inquiries and "I love your work" but it doesn't always turn into jobs. I am being vulnerable here because I believe God sends the work he wants me to have. This summer is the quietest wedding summer I have had since graduating college, it's strange for me but I will roll with it! I thankfully though have never been turned down on merit, personality or work ethic, always strictly on pricing. It's a tough business my friends and everyone thinks they're a pro. I just have to sti back and trust that I will truly receive the clients that I am supposed to! To all of you who have trusted me with your weddings and families, I am so thankful and still honored.

7. On a different note, I think I shot one of my favorite weddings ever this last Saturday. It was a good up before a big down :)

8. Thank God for vacation bible schools all over this summer! I got to be a part of Lifehouse's VBS last week, leading a fabulous group of 2 & 3rd graders. We had a lot of fun learning about God and serving! This week, my twins are participating in a different VBS at another local church. So thankful for people willing to invest in kids!

Here's me and some of my gang last week...don't mind the crazy, that's part of the fun :)

 

9. The summer is whizzing by and I am trying to make the most of if. What are some of your favorite summer fun ideas? I am really wishing for beach day soon!

10. For the rest of this day, I won't put ridiculous pressure on myself for perfection. My house looks like 3 kids and a dog live here (bye, bye pottery barn catalogue dream house ideals). My to-do list is long but I will celebrate things like I have already washed, dryed and remade the bed my 4 year old peed in last night. I have done at least 5 loads of laundry in last two days and yes there's a basket of clean still sitting at end of my bed (although kids clothes are away!) Count the wins today friends....here's something I love from a creative designer mama, Emily Ley, I follow. Her favorite saying is "Grace, not perfection." I 

Monday Confessions

We had a fun playdate with friends this morning and the moms were discussing how kids are always worst behaved on Monday. I think I concur, although kids enjoyed playing with friends today much more today than doing things like going to the grocery store! They are more willing to behave when it was something fun they wanted to participate in. Funny how adults truly aren't that different, we are the same. Anyhow, WHO CAN BELIEVE June is HALF over?!

1. I confess that our summer is already FLYING and I thought it would feel endless!

2. We are participating in Vacation Bible School at our church this week in the evenings. I am definitely looking forward to it but it's going to make for some LONG days for us! Kids will be home past bedtime every night and they never sleep in. Say a prayer for us this week!

3. I confess that I have been trying to stay on track with eating and working out regularly. It's been a good balance for me, not obsessive but just a part of my lifestyle. It helps that a friend and I are holding each other accountable. I had great success by last friday I broke back into the 140s....but am afraid to weigh myself after the Father's day treats so I will give it a few days. I am really just one stomach virus away from goal :) just kidding!

4. Sorry if you were trying to access my website in the last 24 hours and had trouble! There was a technical issue that threw me for a loop, I was SO THANKFUL that we got it up and running this morning. It's amazing how much you don't think about certain things until they don't work!

5. If you need a little pick me up this afternoon, tune into Pandora radio and put in "motown" for your station. This is not my original idea, a friend posted it on facebook and I have to say that right now I am swaying to "How sweet it is to be loved by you!" Loving it...such a change from our current pop music. 

6. Who really cares that Kim and Kayne had their baby?! Why is that world news and we don't hear about other more important things. I wish them all the best, but I mean isn't she still married to another man? It's just sad to me what we find acceptable and celebrate. 

7. I am dreaming of Rita's water ice right now...Mango to be exact :)

8. I confess I am counting until our beach vacation in a month. I have two weddings to photograph between now and then that I am equally excited about, but vacation & family time are definitely in order!

9. Father's Day, as I assume it always will, made me think about Dad. I have to say though, I have a great peace about things this year since the spreading of his ashes. Spending time with his close friends also helped me to feel closer to him. We had fun though yesterday celebrating with the dads & grandfathers in our lives!

Here's a few pics from the weekend!

Matt & his dad with the kids....

My Poppop pulling Max around...

My step dad, their Poppop, pulling the kids...

Me and my fav girl in the hammock... forgive all the freckles, you can tell it's summer for me!

Have a great week friends!

Engagement, Love is in the Air!

On a warm early summer afternoon Krystle, Mike, and I met up at the John Tyler Arboretum to take their engagement photos. Their love for one another is evident and I am thankful to be able to capture it both now and on their 2014 wedding day! Enjoy!

Maternity Session at UD!

I have said this before, but there's no compliment like one of my wedding couples calling me when they're ready for maternity pictures! I absolutely adore the opportunity to be a part of friends' lives in this way! What an absolute privilege to capture the moments and memories for a family. So really I should thank Robbie and Donna for asking me to capture their maternity photos! They have been good friends for a long time so it's sweet to see this moment in their lives as they prepare for parenthood. We chose the very appropriate UD campus for their shoot. They met and fell in love at UD during their college days, so it just made sense! During our session, I gave my sage advice to try to get lots of sleep now and go out to as many movies/dinners that you can afford between now and July :) 

I got some adorable photos of them with the first initial for baby girl but I have to keep those to myself because her name is under wraps...can't wait to meet her this July!

Monday Confessions

Good morning friends, sorry we missed a week with Memorial day and a birthday in the same day last week! Frist things first, I confess I haven't even finished a cup of coffee yet but I am going for it!

1. Here's a fun shot of my baby boy's birthday after he blew out his candles!

Here's another cute shot of him being big boy on the swings!

So now we have a 2 year old and two 3 year olds in our house until the end of the month when it's the twins birthday!

2.    I have a story to share with you. I often have wondered since the beginning of my motherhood days if all kids come with as much energy, spunk and curiosity as one child that I have :) I just had to laugh yesterday as one of his precious Sunday school teachers told me the story of her first day with him. He was apparently up to all his usual tasks like escaping the gate, trips to the bathroom, playing in the sink and water...the list continued. On one of his escape trips into the bathroom he had gotten the lysol and was spraying it everwhere. (I can't make this stuff up) She told me on her ride home, when her husband asked her how it was she replied "it will be better next week, I will have a plan." She even requested an additional child gate for the following week. Yes, my child needs addtional gear to keep him in. The best part is that this sweet friend had been an elementary teacher for over 13 years so she was no rookie....she had just met her new match.

     I think back to our previous church before we moved, they also had baby gates and locks attributed specifially to Dean. He had learned how to break into the snack cabinet. There was one day he sprung the entire class out of their room and the 2 year olds were all making a run for it....I share all this to say, it validates how I feel sometimes. Living with a curious George/Dennis the menace combination can be exhausting...but it can also be lots of fun. I felt validated though, hearing from other seasoned moms that he truly is a handful. So mamas with those extra special, strong willed, handful kiddos...hang in there, it's part of the adventure! (Mostly it's for my personal sanctification I think...) His cuteness definitely helps him stay of of some trouble :)

3. I have been doing some reading of some great books. I just finished Kisses from Katie, a wonderful story of a young woman with a heart for God and a willing spirit. I definitely encourage anyone to read this story of love, compassion and commitment. It has deeply been challenging my own personal convictions and even how I live my every day life here in the U.S. Katie's blog is also a great place to see what she's up to!

4. I confess that Monday's are the worst...honestly, at our house they just are. I usually have tired kids from some variety of weekend fun, which makes them grumpier than usual. I feel like it always rains on Monday (dramatic, I know) so we are stuck in or stuck going on the weekly grocery run. Today's excitment will contain a trip to the doc to get kids a follow up from a test and then a trip to the grocery store. I already dread it and they have already whined when I told them what we had to do today. 

5. I confess I already raised my voice....In the time I have been writing this I can't even list all the issues I have dealt with. It's like they sense me attempting something productive and have to start on their worst behavior. I was even walking towards the crying/screaming chanting "I will not yell"...

6. Word on the street is that Friday is National Donut Day and Dunkin' Donuts is giving free donuts with drink purchases! Check your local Dunkin' and treat yourself!

7. As for photography, it has been picking back up into a very busy season and I hope to be sharing some posts with you soon from the last couple weekends. For those of you asking, I am now booking for August and after so if you're wanting a late summer session, this is a great time to get it on the calendar!

8. Have any of you seen this prank video with Jeff Gordon?! It was race weekend here in DE where all the Nascar fans pour in...thought this was appropriate and GREAT for a Monday laugh!

9. Or have you seen this?! 

Go ahead and laugh at yourself today, I give you permission. Life is too short to be so serious! Have a great week!

Monday Confessions

If I am honest, it's been a challenging day. Nothing has necessarily been different than a normal Monday but I am challenging my own heart attitudes today. I am really not as nice as I like to think I am (and if you don't even think I am nice, I totally understand!). Life has sort of worn me down lately. I won't bore you with all the details but often the propsect of waking up on Monday morning, facing a week with my 3 kids knowing I am their primary caregiver for most of it...doesn't get me started off in a good mood. It's an honest struggle. I was thinking about not even posting on the blog today for fear of being discouraging, but I am just being real. 

What did I do though? I read some good honest truth both from the Bible and about motherhood. (If you need a good read, Desperate Mom is where it's at!) 

1. What stuck out to me this morning was this, Proverbs 14:1 "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands."

Striking...I both have the power to build up my home or tear it down. This morning's ugly attitude had potential to tear down so I needed to get it in check! What helped? Obviously the scripture, but also some more thoughts from the book. 

2. Yesterday we had the awesome opportunity to participate in the 10th Annual Buddy walk that is put on my the Down Syndrome Association of DE. Our lives became directly connected with the DS gang last year through many streams of events but mostly a couple of good friends gave birth to babies with DS. It has truly opened my eyes and altered my perspective but I will share those thoughts another time. Here's to team X-Men, for Maddex and Knox, for being the biggest team out there! It was a great first year effort for them and ALL the people involved. I am excited about what the fundraising can do for the furture of all these sweet kiddos!  

Here's the boys and their families! Knox's Daddy isn't pictured because he is deployed and serving the US! I have to say, these are two awesome women in this picture too that I am glad to call friends! 

3. This brings me to another thought, if you know someone who is affected by Down Syndrome and want to read a great book written by a mother of a child with DS, Bloom is the best. The author, Kelle Hampton, is a beautiful writer and is very open and raw with her first encounters with her daughter. This book came to me at a time last year when I needed to read it! It peeled back the curtain on mothers with a special needs child for me and gave me new eyes to see them, to love them. Honestly, I think it's a great read for any mother. She explores motherhood, faith, and all sorts of things that kept me turning the pages. I literally gave up everything and read it in an afternoon last year! Btw (can I text abbreviate on my blog?!), I have fallen in love with following her on instagram and seeing her little Nella in photos!

4. I have been exploring recipes and my kids have not appreciated it. Although, my husband has enjoyed it! I tried to tell my kids the other night "not all mommies like to cook or try to cook new things." Their appreciate was about as excited as I am to take the trash out. I did try this for Sunday night dinner and although mine didn't look pretty, it tasted great! Braided Spaghetti Bread is delish! I found the bread dough right at my local Acme too, fyi!

5. I confess, I am glad the long weekend is ahead for more family time! I have some birthday planning to do for my little man who turns two. We are truly keeping it simple with a very small family party but I am still going to try to do a few cute things! 

Have a great week friends!

Monday Confessions, Mother's Day edition

Whew, what a weekend! We went on a "mini-vacation," as the kids were calling it, for the weekend to Lancaster, PA. We just needed a big dose of family time. We have definitely been burning the candle on both ends for a while. My semester just ended and Mother's Day weekend seemed like a good time to get away! 

1. First a shout out to my mom, not only is she an awesome mom, she helped us get the hotel because she's a traveler extraordinaire. Her generosity definitely touched us!

2. If you have young kids, the Willow Valley Doubletree is where it's at! We had a two bedroom hotel room, which fit us perfectly. The indoor water playground had my kids going nuts. In fact, the woke us up at 5:30am saturday wanting to know if it was time to go back to the pool yet! 

3. I had recently purchased discount tickets to Dutch Wonderland through our preschool and boy am I glad I did! Dutch Wonderland became the other fun part of our weekend that made the kids so happy. 

Here's the hubs and kiddos before our "preview night" (You can go it after 3 to check out the park until closing and come back for the full next day!)

4. If you missed this embarassment, enjoy your free laugh! For the record, heights don't scare me but getting soaked on a 60 degree breezy day does apparently strike fear into my heart! We laughed so hard seeing this picture we had to purchase it for posterity. Good times...

5. The kids favorite ride other than the log flume was the "mini-whip" where they got whipped around in a circle. I think it was invented by parents who needed a good laugh. When the boys rode together, they could not stop laughing when the squished into each other around the corners. Loved it!

6. We saw an absolutely gorgeous scene as sun was setting Saturday evening... This is just my phone shot. I took pictures with my 'real' camera too but just haven't had time for them yet. 

7. Today alone we have already gotten an oil change, gone to Safeway for groceries, went to play at the park, went through the car wash and vacuum...then came home to continue the 5 loads of laundry I have been working on. I looked like a troll all morning in sweats with no earrings but it was TOTALLY a trade off. I didn't look good but darn if I didn't kick butt and take names in the productivity department. Kids were cooperative and willing to be good for bribes like mini-donuts and a trip to the park :)

8. My knee is still on the mend..missing my insanity exercises!

9. I shared a quote last night that is on my heart today "There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one" - Jillian Churchill. I love that sentiment. It's true, not a one of us can be perfect but we can be good. Motherhood has rocked my world in many ways but it's refining me into an entirely different (and i hope better) person. 

10. SO THANKFUL for all the moms in my life! I already mentioned my lovely mother but I am also blessed with a great Mother in Law too! She is so generous to me and loves on my kids like no other. I am also beyond thankful for my grandmothers that I still have to spend time with and learn from. Ain't nothing like a mama!!!

Have a great Monday friends!

Monday Confessions

Another week is upon us! We have been up for a while already but just got this Monday party started with a little dance party to Mandisa's Good Morning.  It's a really great way to start a day if I am honest! I was laughing with my kids and listening to Mandisa's encouraging words, not to mention Toby Mac's little rap. Dean loves to day "Top 'o the mornin' to ya 'Disa." I really can't believe we are kicking off our second week in May! So here goes confessions...

1. I hurt my knee late last week and it's been killing me. Remember that 3 mile run I was all hyped about? Well it hasn't happened again since. I tried to run friday night and "pushed through the knee pain" like an idiot. I could barely do the steps by Saturday so I need to do a little resting of the knee and low impact exercise this week to get back on track. Getting sidelined isn't fun but sometimes we need rest to bring healing!

2. I caught the Blind Side on TV last night and it gets me every time! I love the story of a family opening up their lives to an unsuspecting soul and how God weaves it all together. I know Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for her rendition of Leigh Ann Tuohy but someone had to give the raw material! Who shouldn't love a fiercly loving and protective mama that isn't afraid to stand up for what is right either with her snooty friends or the boys in the projects?!

3. Mother's day is next Sunday and I am totally stumped for gifts! I am usually a planner and not so last minute. I have a couple ideas up my sleeve so we shall see what we come up with!

4. I started reading a really good book towards the end of last week, Prodigal God,  by Timothy Keller. I have to read it in small doses because it's so convicting! He breaks down the story of the Prodigal Son from the perspective of both sons and who Jesus was really talking to when he told this story. I am sure it will be a book I read over and over!

5. My kiddos are done preschool in just two short weeks and I am starting a list of summer fun that we can have. Do you have any great ideas for day trips or fun things to do around the house? I would love to hear them! Anything preschool appropriate we are up for!

6. Even as I am writing this I have been called to the upstairs potty to go wipe a bottom and Dean's voice a few minutes later just yelled down "Mom, Maxwell smells like poo." That's mom life for you :) Keeping it real...

7. Can you believe this guy is 2 later this month? It's crazy to me!! I really don't remember him ever being that small!

8. Tonight is my last class of the semester! Teachers get just as excited as students this time of year. It was a great bunch of students to work with this semester and I will be sad to see them go. I am thankful though that summer is on it's way!

9. Our kids don't know yet but we are going away this upcoming weekend!! Who's excited?!! ME! We are going to Lancaster, Pa for a weekend away as a family. I really cannot wait! Our hotel even has an indoor kids water park area....counting down til Friday....

Have a great week friends!!

To the mom who thinks she can't take time for herself...

To the mom who is so busy working trying to keep up with all the needs in her home that she never takes time for herself, I grant you permission. I am saying this because I too made this mistake for a while. I always thought that neglecting myself was just part of taking care of everyone else. What I have learned through the last four years of motherhood is that taking decent care of me is the BEST way to take care of everyone else!

One particular form of self neglect can come with exercise. I am here today to try to encourage even one mom out there who feels like she just can't. I have been in that place and it stinks. You are so exhausted that even thinking of exercising wears you out! What I have learned through the different cycles of my mom life though, is that I am ALWAYS better off when I am excercising regularly. Diet is sort of a dirty word in our house so I will avoid that discussion but food makes a difference too!

I ran 3 miles last night for the first time in maybe years and it felt so good to accomplish that. It helps that I have been doing all different exercise videos for the last few months trying to get back in shape. I haven't lost much weight in the last few months but my body has changed so much. I can actually do push ups too! (This is huge for me). Running 3 miles with a friend last night reminded me that my body is strong and meant to be used. It also gave me way more empowerment than sitting on the couch. I felt accomplished, and saw a little glimpse of the "former me" who ran and exercised regularly before kids. So wherever you are on this journey...start with a brisk walk today or if you are farther along, push yourself to go longer! 

To encourage you...

This is me a few months after having Max at around 175 lbs if I had to guess... (if you think it's not that bad, it's because that size 14 dress covers A LOT gracefully :)

And some of you might remember this recent shot at Easter, at 150 lbs (the weight I was pre-kids) and feeling much healthier and stronger. Please excuse our pasty whiteness, I definitely am in need of a tan :)

My Colorado Experience

Many of you that keep up with me or the blog know that this past week I traveled to Colorado, but some may not know the reason. When my dad passed away almost 2 years ago, he had repeatedly made it clear that he wanted his final resting place for his ashes in Colorado. Although it might seem strange for someone who spent the majority of his life on the East coast, CO was most definitely his favorite place. He had lived there for some years as a young adult and literally fell in love with it, but eventually duty called and he returned to DE to join the family business. Eventhough Delaware was his address, his heart was always in Colorado. He wanted his final resting spot up on a mountain in view of Rabbit Ears Pass just outside of Steamboat Springs, right along the continental divide. It's funny though, I had only ever been there once as a kid. You know how life gets in the way and it's never convenient or there's never enough money for a trip, etc. I wish I had experienced more of it with him! 

Here's what I realized through this journey, along with my brother and some of dad's best friends...this was his final gift to us. We had set the date for April 17, which would've been dad's 60th birthday this year. While some might think we were going to great lengths to honor someone who had already passed on, this trip really was about us. I cannot tell you what a gift it was to spend a few days (sans kids) with my brother and my dad's buddies. It was such a gift to see and experience his favorite place in a huge snow storm no less! Lets just say though that this was not an adventure for the faint at heart!

I had to laugh though because I am an amateur skiier at best and my bro might have even less experience than me...I know, we put dad to shame but he couldn't stand "Pennsylvania foothills" after skiing the rockies. I can now see why! Anyhow, I digress. The thing is though, you can't exatly get up a snow filled moutain without skis! We had our first adventure with cross country skiis in 18 degrees, at 10000 feet and the whole thing took us all about 4 hours on the mountain because of our novice. Thankfully DJ & his wife Marie are both skilled and patient :)

Here's us heading up...

David and DJ, two of dad's best friends. DJ & dad met when they were just 13! 

This was Rabbit Ears Pass the day before the snow, you can see the "rabbit ears" up on the mountain top. (iphone pic, sorry not the greatest)

 

Our little moose sighting!!

Good Morning Steamboat...

The "Eagles Nest"...where we stayed 

Heading to town on an adventure... Ok, it was really just for coffee and souvenirs but everything felt like adventure on this trip!

DJ made dad's famous beer batter pancakes for breakfast!

My brother and I

Beautiful scene near town...

And here's when we finally made it up the mountain...

I will save some of the more personal images for ourselves but I did read a little something and we all said a few words. Here's what I read, "Into the freedom of wind and sunshine, we let you go. Into the dance of the stars and planets, we let you go. Into the wind's breath and the hands of the star maker, we let you go. We love you, we miss you, we want to you be happy. Go safely, go dancing, go running home." It fit the scene and the person, if you knew my dad at all. I am so thankful for this experience. It gave me a great sense of peace knowing we fufilled dad's wishes! 

Tea Barn Wedding Fair Hill, MD

While I am still processing a bit about my week, I wanted to share this beautiful spring wedding with you on the blog today! There are so many DIY elements to this wedding, I loved all the simplicty and beauty of it. The setting was a beautiful spring day with an outdoor ceremony at the Tea Barn. Brian and Kristin had a beautiful day to celebrate their love with family and friends! Enjoy!

Monday Confessions, Welcome Spring

Well hello 73 degrees and sunny! I cracked up at myself earlier thinking "my weather finally matches my iphone's weather app icon - which always says 73 & sunny!" Loving it...so what do I need to confess on this Monday?

1. It was the last day of the spring Free Dunkin' Donuts Iced Coffee and I tried the new butter pecan flavor, enjoyed it!

2. I did a 20 min Turbo Jam workout this morning to get the blood flowing. I haven't tried any of the rest of that set but it was a good 20 mins! I will count the rest of the kid chasing today as a workout. 

3. I teach tonight and the lesson is one of my favorites to teach but it's so hard to do...food photography! Have any of you ever tried it? It falls into the category of "WAY harder than it looks." I love the Pioneer Woman's blog about food and life. Any other fabulous food blogs I should know about?

4. Those of you that are local will remember that our local Friendly's burned down last summer. It was super sad for our kids especially because they loved to go there! It was sad for us because it was one of our fav family friendly options. The good news is the grand re-opening is next week, just in time for ice cream season! (I think it being closed saved me some calories though). 

5. I currently have dualing crock pots going for tonights dinner. On teaching nights it can be especially hard to get dinner on the table basically when my husband walks in the dorr and I leave for class. It's a simple meal though with meatball sandwiches and Paula Deen's crock pot mac-n-cheese (a recipe I literally now know by heart :)

6. We spent the morning at the park already with friends. It was lovely to get out but do playgrounds give other mothers anxiety?! Trying to watch 3 kids that go in 3 different directions makes me sweat. Thankfully with friends we can play more of a zone defense and keep kids covered. I learned a little lesson in trust today though, allowing Dean to play a little farther away from me with a new friend that he made. It was hard but I am glad he was allowed a little freedom and handled it well. The other mom he was near said he listened well and was respectful to her son while they played. Maybe something is sticking after all?!

Macy and her new shades from Mimi! (don't mind the hair, it had a head band until the sunglasses. sometimes a girl has to choose :)

7. Last week was kiddos' spring break so we had many adventures to fill our days. One of them was to the Herr's Snack Factory where the kiddos saw all their favorite snacks being made! We had a blast, including hot chips right off the production line. (not the best picture, it happens to photographer moms too....don't worry friends :)

 

Alright friends, I have a MOUNTAIN of editing to get to between weddings and mini sessions. I will just feel the breeze from my windo while kids nap! Enjoy your week!

 Update: Proof that I am indeed in front of my computer working on this gorgeous day :)

A sneak peek from this weekend's mini sessions!
 

Tuesday Confessions

If you wonder how on earth I missed yesterday's confessions let me tell you! We had a jam packed weekend including me photographing a wedding on Saturday, our truck breaking down with Matt and all 3 kids in it, a full Easter morning with church, egg hunt, family and then an Easter dinner, towing broken truck....among other things! (Sorry for the stream of bad grammar). Anyhow, just keeping it real.

The craziness continued into yesterday morning while piling all 3 kids in the van at 7am in jammies to take Matt to work. You know the old, "if i don't want to be stuck without a car today, we need to go drop him off." It just went from one thing to the next yesterday and although most of it was just daily life, it did include some fun with friends. I think sometimes the daily life stuff is what can overwhelm us the fastest.

Here's a snapshot of us on Easter all dressed for church, thanks to our kind neighbor!

(I was freezing, not sure what happened to that sunny & 60 degree forecast!)

This is more realistic....

Love these crazy kids that made me a mom.... (for the record, Max was busy running around the yard and didn't want any pictures!)

So my real confession is that when life gets crazy, take some deep breaths and try to enjoy the people around you. There was a lot going on yesterday, I thankfully had some good friends to support me and remind me what's important. Things will be busy, cars will break, things will go wrong, but your family and good friends are the treasures of life!

Hope you had a great Easter and are enjoying a fun spring break week!

Monday Confessions, SNOW?!

I have to admit, I have been a cynic when it comes to the weather predictions lately. I assumed that nothing would be falling from the sky when we woke up but I couldn't be more wrong! There's at least a couple inches out there and it just keeps coming! 

1. I confess, I still love snow....even in March on occassion. 

2. I just made a baked oatmeal dish for breakfast and it was yum! I have tweaked my recipe a bit but here's a similar version.  Here was a quick pic of my delish breakfast! It was hard to stop eating...

3. I have my fingers crossed that class gets canceled tonight...although the teacher in me knows it's spring break next week so two weeks off might curse the class momentum we have built. 

4. I started making my own K-cups with the aptly named "Keurig My K-Cup" and I haven't been dissapointed! I bought a bag on sale of a Starbucks blend at the grocery store and it's the bag that just keeps on giving! It's a little more prep time but not much and it's totally less expensive. 

5. Pardon the potty humor but this made me laugh out loud! This is pretty much my life these days :)

6. I am reading about four different books at once right now and having trouble committing to any one of them. A few are off to slow starts but I am going to try to commit and dive in so I can pass along a review or two. We shall see if I get uniterrupted reading time?!

7. We had a great palm Sunday service yesterday at church which included some great singing from the children. It was a precious reminder of all that is to come this week in preparing our hearts for Easter. If you are in the DE area and don't have a church home, we would love for you to join us at LifeHouse next Sunday! Check out details here.

Wishing you a blessed week and don't forget your free Dunkin Iced Coffee today if you venture out! I know, something silly about iced coffee in the snow but hey, it's free and delish :) Happy Monday!

Monday Confessions

Hey friends, the weeks just keep passing us by! I am sorry that there hasn't been much photography centered content lately and you are stuck hearing about my life. Admittedly, winter is usually quiet for most photographers. I thankfully have already started my wedding season but am holding off on sharing some of those due to focusing on trying to get some work published. This is one of my goals for 2013, to make an effort to get published more. 

1. So speaking of goals for 2013, what were some of your goals and resolutions because we are almost a fourth of our way through the year! I promised to get more organized and although it hasn't been a magic wand effect, I am slowly but surely working on different areas of my life and home to organize. I confess that my closet is still a headache for me because of it's small, odd shape. I did, however, do some cleaning out and organizing in the closet on Saturday and now can better see what I actually own!

2. I confess a new slight obession with buffalo chicken dip! My friend made it a party recently and I stole her recipe. I have been working on perfecting it to our likes and the hubs is a big fan! Is this a recipe you friends might want? Let me know and I will share :)

3. Working out was another goal for the new year. I wanted to get back on track with doing a legit workout at least 3 times a week. I have been doing so much better at this the last 4 weeks or so. Today, even though I am a little under the weather, I pushed through and got a workout video done while kids played around me. I have realized that as a mom, nothing gets done without major intentionality. It's too easy to let things slip! Taking care of myself means I can take better care of everyone else!

4. Don't forget your free Iced Dunkin today...I confess I can't wait for mine! I have been saving it and getting it before class in the evening. My favorite combo lately has been the caramel iced coffee with just cream. The caramel makes it sweet enough for me! It gets me through my 6-10pm night class!

5. Like most moms, I confess I have grocery store woes. I try to plan so that I don't have to go there multiple times a week but it just never seems to work out that way for me. I also like to go when the store is less crowded but that usually means going with my little helpers who aren't always the best "help" in the grocery store. We made a dash in this morning for juice, milk and fresh produce. It felt like a major workout just for that 15 min excursion! Any moms have good grocery strategies? Other times I just punish myself and go at 9pm to avoid crowds and kids :)

6. I am just one month from what would've been my dad's 60th birthday. There's not a day that passes that I don't think about him. We are actually going to travel to his favorite place on earth, Colorado, to spread his ashes next month. It's hard to think about but I know I better start preparing my heart for the journey. (I also prepared myself by purchasing a cute winter hat on clearance yesterday at EMS :)

7. The twins have been off their rockers today. This mornings shenanigans included a game where they were both barking dogs, which I was not a fan of. Other games today have included wrestling and running. The funniest came after lunch when Macy was playing the "mommy" and Dean was playing her pet guinea pig "Bobo." I really don't know where they get this stuff....other than the fact we visited the pet store yesterday and have been getting hounded about animals ever since!

8. Here's a peek at our trip to see the Easter bunny, as you can see the youngest Troutman wanted nothing to do with that larger-than-life bunny!

9. I am going to leave you with a great video I came across this past week. Some of you know of our love for the show Duck Dynasty. We stumbled upon it during the first season and it quickly became our favorite show. We are not alone because it just recently took over the top spot for any reality based shows. It's wonderful that a goofy show about a family with values is sitting at the top! They have stayed true to their values and not wavered, I believe God is honoring that as they honor him. If you have questions about Jesus, especially as these next couple weeks leading into Easter, check out Phil's story here on this video. 

I hope you have a great week ahead friends and I will see you back here next Monday!