Fingerlings

Little girl turning young lady.

She's been begging to learn to crochet. I kept delaying because I thought she was too young; it would be too hard for her to understand; she wouldn't have the patience to follow through.

Why do I always assume the worst, I wonder?

If it is too hard for her to understand, she will learn that knowledge needs to be sought after, worked towards. If she lacks the patience, what better way to grow it? And who am I to put an AGE on interests?! sheesh.


On a day that was about 98 degrees, when I had no energy but to sit and have a fan blowing hot air on me, I finally gave in and figured the lesson would last about five minutes.

Instead, she worked alongside me for nearly an hour while I was crocheting myself. I know my girl. I know that part of the drive she had was simply to sit and be with me (big girls still yearn for snuggles) and another part came from the deep, great desire to do something worthwhile, something with the distinct air of grown-up-ness.

She fills pockets of time by the window with her little tin full of pink yarn and blue crochet hook. She anxiously wonders if her tension is good enough to start the next step---single crochet.

She is becoming more full of grown-up-ness by the day.

It makes me proud and secretly, a wee bit sad.

Climbing Smooch Mountain

It's a doozie to get to the top...

but well worth the effort when you finally reach it.

7 more weeks to go.

Wedding Sneak Peak

Please understand that, while this post is excessively full of photographs, I showed enormous restraint in narrowing it down to only these.

I could say a lot about this beautiful day and beautiful people behind it, but I will let the pictures do the talking...

And true to fashion, I saved best for last.

My most favorite shot of the day~ call it "Photographers' Choice" if you will:

What I learned from shooting my first wedding:

* Weddings make me want to get married again. Same man, same dress....but again. Every weekend. (pretty please, Mattie?)

* Matt is not only capable of keeping our three children alive in my full-days absence, but thriving.

* Always wear reliable shoes (or bring spares). I found this out when my shoes broke within the first 30 minutes of the bride getting ready. I had to go barefoot through most of the wedding. Thankfully (and amazingly), it was an outdoor wedding and the family are all sorta free-spirited like that anyway. Talk about sweating it.

*I need another memory card. One is just not enough. I know because I didn't get to snarf any food because while everyone was eating, I was deleting excess photos to make room for the other half of the wedding pictures still yet to take. Talk about looking like the amateur that I am!

* You don't need to convince brides and grooms to pucker up for a picture. On the contrary, most of the time I was an uninvited guest into their romantic interludes.

*Excessive hand gesturing and many smiles work well at conveying messages to those who do not speak English.

*I need to research whether in the Korean culture it is taboo to kiss on cheeks. Didn't think anything of it until the bride's parents got all weirded out by my suggestion. oops.

* You can SEE love in eye sparkles.

* Timing never goes according to plan before a wedding. Plan to compensate. ( I knew this already from my OWN wedding, so I didn't get all panicky when the bride came 20 minutes before the wedding to get dressed. Not as much time to get bridal portraits and NO time to get groom portraits, but hey. I got getting DRESSED shots anyway!)

* Ladders are a photographers best friend.

* 8 month pregnant women who photograph entire weddings like they are not carrying around 30 extra pounds and get in all sorts of weird positions for the perfect shot will have very, VERY sore thigh muscles for three days afterward. Maybe four. Let's just say Matt has been calling my Grandma and I can't say as I blame him.

* ain't no way, ain't no how I can host a July 4th party on the heels of shooting a wedding. Thankfully, though I considered it long and hard, I didn't find this out the HARD way.

* Matt is way better than I am at getting stranded with a blown out tire in the middle of No man's land Pennsylvania game lands with three children, in 90 degree weather, and a donut tire whose rusty cable is making the release of said donut impossible, with only his muscles and a little leatherman. Thank you Lord, it wasn't me.

* Editing hundreds of photos is exhausting.

* Choosing FAVORITES from hundreds of photos is exhausting.

* I can proudly say I CAN do weddings, I DID do a wedding and I am happy with the results I got (and hopeful the bride and groom will be pleased too). A HUGE milestone for me. yay. (YAY being, of course, a huge understatement)

____________________________________________

I will post a FEW favorites from this weekends' wedding in a day or two-when I decide which ARE my favorites.

I do solemnly swear, though against my natural instinct, NOT to post all 600 photos.

You have my word.

And my word is my bond.

Things of Beauty...

...may your weekend be brimful of them.

Just....stuff

I planted this rose bush last year and it gave me two of the most radiant, jaw-droppingly beautiful blooms ever.

This year, I get two more.

I know nothing of roses but my guess is that the plant hasn't grown larger because I cut the blooms last year, not giving the poor thing time enough to acclimate? So this year I promised I wouldn't bring them in, no matter how much I wanted to... I have been having quite the inner struggle to keep from cutting these blooms, let me tell you!

Only two-but what a couple they are!

Rose #1 looked like this:







and Rose #2:

Started out looking like this~


and ended up looking like this~


Other randomness~

~I finally tackled the craft room, the last room that needed a good tidy. Now that THAT is under control, I am determined to start a crafty project this coming week, even if it is just cutting fabric out. Picking fabric. Picking a project-I don't care. I am GOING to do SOMETHING. It has been too long for my own good.

~I haven't posted a recipe on my kitchen blog in almost a year. That is just sad. I *will* be doing better at that. It hasn't been that I haven't been cooking. In fact, I even have half a dozen or so photographed foods-but I never wrote down the recipe, thinking "Oh, I'll remember until tonight when I post it" and then never did. And now I kinda sorta FORGET the recipes. But no more. Promise.

~You don't think I am serious? This morning I made tropical banana bread (oh my!), a batch of homemade bisquick mix, some no-bake cookies and some rolls. They will all be going in Kitchen Riches by MONDAY. (There a time limit!)

~I am crossing my fingers and toes that Matt and I can squeeze in a date or two before Smooch arrives. Dates pretty much don't happen these days. I am lucky to get 2 or 3 a year and those, only going out to dinner. But the rush always happens before a new baby is born. It got me thinking about places to eat out which got me thinking about Texas Roadhouse which got me to thinking about their bread and honey cinnamon butter which led me to a google search which then forced me to get all floury this morning. Just popped 'em out of the oven and they are just as pillow-y as the restaurant variety. Gonna make the butter in a bit and then I am going to eat more bread with dinner than anything else. I can't wait to try them. Do you KNOW how exciting it will be to be able to make those MYSELF?!?
If they work out, they ALSO will be going to Kitchen Riches.

~Blue and green look nice together, no? I started a sweater, this very one, except using blue and green HOMESPUN. I took the children to the park yesterday and laid out my picnic blanket and brought out the yarn and hook, hoping to get some crocheting done while children played. HA! How do some mothers do that? I have a 19 month old who tries to periodically kill herself on mammoth slides and firepoles and don't even get me started around water.

~Saturday is THE wedding. THE wedding in which I am getting paid to single-handedly capture the very essence and beauty of a union of two souls and two families. I am scared. to. death. On a good note~it is an outdoor wedding and the forecast says all golden skies. Everyone knows how I *HATE* taking photos inside with bad lighting. HALLELUJAH!

~Some of our tomato plants are nearly as tall as I am. Seriously, that says A LOT.

~I love fresh pineapple. And we are having some with dinner. YUM-o.

~We survived our first (and hopefully last) tornado last week. The week Matt was out of town. It wrecked havok on our road but didn't touch the house (though it felt like a different story at the time) and totally missed our trees, barns, animals, etc. Plan to get some photos but there are all sorts of wreckage clean-up men who will probably not find too much amusement in a shutter-happy pregnant woman getting in their way. Or maybe they would. Either way-I wouldn't.

That's all for now!

The Countdown Begins (er, BEGAN)

I was all set to sit down and make a post about entering into the Smooch Final-Weeks Countdown, since I now have 10 weeks to go on this pregnancy.

Except, turns out, I don't.

I double checked my "week" just a moment ago and turns out I am NOT at 30 weeks, but actually 2 days shy of 32 weeks! SCORE.

That means I DON'T have 10 weeks to go, only8 weeks to go. Cha-stinkin'-ching, as we say around here.

This goes to show you-I was NOT exaggerating about being busy and time just flying this past month-it really DID!

So here are my supposed-to-be-30-weeks-but-turns-out-to-be-almost-32-week belly pictures.

Frankly, not sure how my belly can stretch out 8 more weeks worth, knowing that Smooch is going to likely triple in weight by the end.

Looks to me like Duchess it wondering the same thing...


Seriously, I am huge.

Not just my belly, either, but just about everything. Swollen feet (Leah O.)??? ha! I think not. Swollen EVERYTHING about sums it up. In fact, I weigh now more than I have EVER weighed non-pregnant and even PREGNANT. (May I remind you I still have 8 weeks of weight gain?)

Talk about DEPRESSING.

REALLY trying not to get discouraged about the whole weight thing. It isn't really working though. It is pretty much constantly on my mind. I have even had to stop wearing a few maternity shorts because they actually HURT to sit down in. ugh

I am also beginning to excel in the waddling which just adds to my lovely self-image! Nothing more lovely than a waddling beach-whale! hehe

On the BRIGHT side though-

I haven't added any NEW stretchmarks this pregnancy. Which doesn't really say too awful much since I am already the offspring of fruit-striped-gum. But no NEW ones is always good!!!

Also, my back, feet, and groin aren't in constant pain like they were during Adele's pregnancy. I remember it being almost debilitating back then so that is profound reason to rejoice!!

Enough about me, what about Smooch?

We are no further along in the name department. I have, however, changed my opinion as to whether this baby is a boy or a girl. Methinks it is a girl these days. Even still, I find myself referring to "him" more often than "her".

Andrew says it HAS to be a boy because God wants him to have a brother and he already HAS two sisters, so if Smooch is indeed a girl, I certainly hope it doesn't spoil anything for the Panda.

Little Smooch would punch and kick and I would feel all sorts of jabs and jostles. Now that Smooch is a bit bigger, s/he is getting a bit more feisty. Like doing actual SOMERSAULTS or swiping my belly from top to bottom in one huge, constant wave. It is really weird feeling and REALLY weird to watch. If I weren't so fruity-striped, I might just have had to post a video of my crazy sci-fi mutating belly. Its pretty fun to watch.

Finally~ that list I made of Smooch projects? Not a one has been done. Matter of fact, not a ONE has been started. Too many other things to be working on-for the family and for others. This makes me very, very sad because I wanted so badly to have some baby projects under my belt by now. Maybe when things slow down?

But slowing down? How likely is THAT?

Not very, if you ask me.

Especially, not if weeks can sneak past me unnoticed!

Multitude Monday

For the past few weeks, I have truly felt buried in my to-do list. So many things to do~happy, fun things and some not-so-fun but still worthwhile things. There have been places to go, people to see, projects to make, rooms to clean, and all manner of chores for this Mama.

As usual.

The problem was~I felt incapable of doing it all (or any of it). My days would pass just as busily as ever, but miraculously, by the end of the day-not a thing could get crossed off my mental to-do list.

I had been BUSY all day long but couldn't quite figure out what I had actually "accomplished".

The result was that I felt exceedingly busy but I didn't know what I was exceedingly busy WITH-all I saw was the masses of "undones", which in turn got me feeling more and more exhausted.

A few weeks ago, when I hurt my back, I had been in the middle of preparing for a yardsale. I wasn't able to do it then and so the boxes stayed pushed up against the walls of our rooms--no way I was going to trudge them back to the attic just to bring them down again in a week or so! Each weekend since has been B.U.S.Y so I still haven't had my yard sale.

And the boxes, they sit still.

And stare me down. I like things tidy and welcoming, and comfortable so for ME, there is nothing so depressing as rooms of cardboard reminders of work that needs to be done. I HATE being stared down by to-do lists. I HATE waking up to boxes that just scream work and going to bed with that being my last sight. I hate feeling...claustrophobic in my own refuge.

It was those yard sale boxes that started it all~my hopeless feeling of clutter. They got me down, so I decided as a remedy-I would organize all the school supplies since the school year is official over. I would also organize the bookshelves since they were so full, books couldn't be returned to them and were instead being thrown on the floor.

BIG mistake.

Tackling two huge jobs on two levels of the house in addition to the already insurmountable yard sale clutter was just enough to do me in. Besides cleaning the toilets occasionally, I stopped cleaning the bathrooms. Besides the sweeping of barefeet, I stopped sweeping the floors. Besides the occasional book plopping on a coffee-table, furniture stopped getting dusted.

I was just. plain. exhausted.

Well, Matt went out of town this past week and as is usually the case, when he is gone, I can't sleep a wink. Instead, somewhere deep inside me, motivation began to stir and my usually energetic self came back from vacation. And it has been NICE. Still lots to do, still there are yard sale boxes not-so-gracefully lining walls, but I am seeing bits of beauty and refuge in a home that has been void of it for quite a while.

I am ACCOMPLISHING things! And it is good.

This Multitude Monday, I am grateful for.....

~crossed off to-do lists, slow and steady

~ just beginning

He has half the deed done who has made a beginning. ::Oliver Wendell Holmes

~two bathrooms, scrubbed from top to bottom


~floorboards and moldings, no longer dusty

~area rugs, vacuumed

~a stove that is white again


~fresh sheets on the bed, smelling of June winds and lilies

~a tidy nook over the sink


~the smell of lemons and Murphy's Oil Soap

~walls, washed

~cobwebs, gone

~hardwood floors, mopped.

~that spot, under the office desk that has been covered in dust bunnies, that I stared at every.single.time I came upstairs~that isn't anymore.

~ dusted knicknacks. Dusted shelves. Dusted lamps. dusted furniture. dusted. dusted dusted.

~school shelves, organized


~ a nightstand, cleared and ready for a new batch of books

~ the top of a fridge that squeaks

~the task of purging ones self of excess books. Brutal. Necessary. Done.


~bookcases that actually fit books again

~an organized writing desk

~the bill folder, emptied

~furniture that reflects

~sinks that shine

~mirrors and windows without fingerprints

~laundry on the line and not on the floor

~flowers for the table, in Oma's pitcher


~the absence of stubbed toes on playmobil people

~ the tops of furniture-empty, except for IMPORTANT stuff


~a house that is a refuge, once more

~the feeling of confidence should unexpected visitors arrive


~ the feeling of pride and happiness, whatever room I am in.

~and most especially, the motivation and energy to finally JUST DO IT.

#446 ~ #477 blessings of fruitful work and perseverance, given by the Author of such things.

Sweetling

A few favorites of a recent photoshoot:


I had a few minutes right before 70+ guests arrived to a party to strip this babydoll down, toss my beanbag in a shady corner of the outdoors and snap a few pictures.

I am still amazed I had even just a few minutes-and that her Mama wasn't so frantic with party preparations that she was actually be able to watch.

AND help out. A lot.


See those smiles?

They were for Mama and her Mama only. Mama meant the world to this girl~it was plain to see.


Be still my heart-look at that pucker!




I have such a hard time picking favorites...so here ya go:


"F" family, your cd is FINALLY on it's way. Thanks for your patience! (And thanks for the party~ we had a blast.)