Bennett's b-day!

My youngest son, Bennett turned 5 this week! That is so crazy to me. It seems like yesterday that he was so tiny. I told him on his birthday that I wasn't going to let him turn 5 until exactly 1:42pm since that's when he was officially born. :) He didn't quite "get" why he had to wait until after lunch to turn 5, but he went along with it for me, I guess. We happened to be at the grocery store (where he loves to push the small-kid carts and drive it like a race car around the store) when he officially turned 5. We were heading out to the car, and I stopped in the parking lot...scooped him up and hugged him really tight. I told him that I was NOT going to let him turn 5...this isn't possible! He gave me that "oh, mom!" look and said..."well, I guess I'm not 4 anymore! yippeee!!"

If only we could stop time. If only we could go back. But, this mommy knows how quickly the years have flown by and I know that I just have to cherish each and every second of every day that God gives me. I am so honored to be able to be a mom. It is amazing to me that God gives us these little lives to take care of and raise to be adults (wow!).

We had his party at a cool place here in Arlington called "Alley Cats."

Thanking God for Bennett this week.......

a little too much sugar??

OK, so my Tuesday and Thursdays are my days to run around (Bennett is in MDO and Olson's at school all day). So, yesterday I decide to go to Target. I just love to push the cart around Target. I seriously think I could spend hours there. Whoever their marketing people are...they've gotten it right. What young 20 to 30-somethings don't LOVE Target??
Anyway, so I decide to get my "grande, nonfat cinnamon dolce" latte and a pumpkin spice muffin (oh my gosh...have you had one of these yet?? have them warm it up for you). So, I sit down in the little sitting area to eat my muffin and organize my calendar. Well, 2 workers from Target are chatting it up. One of them got a coffee and he is standing at the counter where all the "extras" that you add in are located. This guy starts dumping real sugar into his small coffee cup. I am not kidding....he stood there and I probably could've counted to 10 while he kept pouring. I could not believe it. THEN----THEN!!!!!!!! He added 2 more sweet-n-lows. THEN!!!!!!! He added some creamer. I so bad wanted to say "hey, man...would you like some coffee to go with that?" LOL! He is probably still going strong. I bet he never even went to bed last night. wow. I'm still amazed.

But, seriously...go try one of the pumpkin muffins at Starbucks. They are melt in your mouth good. Don't think about the calories...just savor it. There's no way it could have more sugar than what that guy dumped in his coffee.

a fun weekend.....

Weddings!!!!! You gotta love them, right?? Well, this past weekend I got to play the piano for the wedding of a sweet couple in our church. It was so beautiful. Our friends, Paul and Shannon were there as well (he performed the ceremony) so it was so fun to get all dressed up and hang out for the evening. At the reception, they had a dance floor....so Brad and I definitely "cut a rug" for awhile to some great 80's music. We even did the "chicken dance." yes, really. You forget how much dancing will wear you out!

I also did a photo shoot of the sweetest little newborn. Samuel was so precious and lived up to all the fantastic newborn stuff, the sweet little hands and feet, the brand new little tiny cry, the baby lotion smell, and even giving us a good peepee and poopy right on dad! hah! It was great (not for him, of course), he is a pro-dad already it didn't even phase him. Here are some pics from the shoot.

yes!

YES! I am loving the weather. But, you know that it will probably get tricky on us and go back to 95 degrees! (we are in Texas in case you forgot) Oh well...i'm loving it while I can for now.

OK, so my son Bennett has discovered an old MP3 player of my husbands. He thinks it is the coolest thing ever. He walks around with the earbuds in and he'll try and tell us something and just be screaming without knowing it. lol! He was listening to music last night while I was getting dinner ready and he was just singing.....i mean the singing that you do when you don't think anyone is around kind of singing. Brad and I just looked at each other....it was the sweetest thing. He was singing "everywhere I go, I see You.......everywhere I go, I see You" (i think it is a worship song off Michael W. Smith's older worship cd.

I just love how innocent it was and needed to be reminded to SING more! Not just when I have to, but just because.

OK, so my other son, Olson is a 1st grader. He is starting to experience HOMEWORK this week for the first time. He is HATING it. So, I'm trying to be a good parent and right when he gets home from school each day, he gets a little snack and we sit down to do that day's page out of his homework packet. Well, yesterday Brad had a friend come by and so I let him go play first so I could visit for awhile. Of course, when I try and get him to do his homework, he just makes the biggest fuss. But it's so funny because when he finishes his work and does really well (he is so smart) he is so proud of himself!

Why do kids function so much better with a set routine?? I remember when I taught elementary music, I used to be amazed when the smallest thing got "out of whack" one day....it became absolute craziness. I guess most people do function best on a routine...I know I do.

not too good at this....

Ok, so I'm finding that I'm forgetting to get on here and write something....or maybe I just don't know what to put. hah! I'm not like my friend Kathryn...I could read her blog all day. (you need to be a writer, Kat)
I am excited about some shoots coming up that I have booked. I get to shoot pics of a 12 day old on Friday. I just love newborns. There's something about them that just makes me smile. You know what I mean??? You know how it is when you haven't seen a newborn in awhile and they are just so dang sweet. They are just so tiny. I have 2 boys and you just will never remember how tiny they really were until you see a tiny tiny tiny newborn again. It reminds me every single time without fail how good God is and how amazingly unique he makes us.
I love all of their little noises and little feet and hands......and of course that lotion-ey baby smell. Yay! I can't wait until Friday. :)
I also get to be a part of a wedding Saturday. I'm not photographing this one, but playing the piano for it. I love playing....and I'm so glad I was asked....I'm reminded as I've been practicing this week how much I love it. Plus, it's always fun to get all dressed up, right?
Alright.....more talk and photos later. Peace out.

FALL!

IS IT FALL YET??? Well, my answer is yes. I bought me a new fall yankee candle, "frosted pumpkin" and my friend Shannon and I of course took the plunge and had a "pumpkin spice latte" from Starbucks today. (yes, it was 87 degrees, but oh well!) I am all about fall. It is my very favorite time of year. I was in Oklahoma a couple of days ago visiting family and got a little too excited...it was cloudy and about 70 degrees with a little chilly wind. I LOVED it. So, I guess I'm just a little turbo-fall....oh well, deal with it! LOL.

so, here are a few cuties I've been blessed to take pictures of.....

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day! Hope you all are relaxing and just hanging out like we are. We've had the best "lazy day" so far. :) It's almost 2PM and I'm still in my pj's! Don't you love days like that?
We are going to hang out with friends tonight and cookout----yum...burgers! How can it be Labor Day weekend and not have some grillin out going on? Great....now my mouth is watering. I made some homemade chocolate-chip cookies earlier, so now my house is smelling delicious.
It is so quiet right now...my boys are napping...so I'm off to do some laundry. fun, huh? well...more later....have a good one.