THANK YOU MARY KAY!!!

Ok, so I am not below a little bribery!! If Faith is anything...she is a GIRLY girl! Don't let the wanting to play T-ball fool ya! She loves her some lip gloss, dress up, SHOES....so I brought along some lip gloss and lo and behold....

SHE BATTED AND SHE PLAYED FIRST BASE AND SHE LOOOOOOVED IT!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!! I was SOOO excited and SOOO proud of her!! She was very proud of herself too!! :) ( I think she even forgot about the "lips"!) LOL

Go Tigers!

This year is Faith's turn for T-ball. Falyn wants to do gymnastics and soccer (which both start later in the year) and Faith BEGGED to play T-Ball...so...well...I signed her up for 3 yr old T-Ball at the Y. WHAT was I thinking? I KNOW how shy this child is, and I guess in all honesty, I really thought she would be ok with it and play. Heck NO!! Tuesday was our first game. This child wanted NOTHING to do with T-Ball. LOL She didn't want to talk to anyone, meet anyone, NOTHIN'!! I did finally manage to get her out on the field to throw with me. We were out in left field, when a little boy got up to bat. I told her "watch this boy, he might hit the ball to you, and then you go get the ball, ok?" - "ok, mommy" - watching very intently (mommy got excited here), ball LINED drive to Faith! - ball lands two feet to her left, she stares at it - "Faith! get the ball! There it is! Get it!" - 8 tiny t-ballers running at Faith - "MOMMY!!!!" - Faith runs to me! All I could do was laugh!! LOL Maybe next time! LOL

I was this "-" close to having her up to bat, and they started cheering for her. Yep, it was all over, she didn't want to bat! :P Oh well. She has 7 games left...surely she'll get used to it by the end of the season? LOL Here's my little T-baller! :) (Thank you Grandpa Randy for taking these, while wrestling with Chandler-man!)

Pensacola

Just a FEW of the TOOOONS of pics I took while we were there last week...so check back soon! It was VERY hard to see my old house and then even harder to have dinner with the couple that bought it and not BEG to go see it. I never really realized how much of an attachment you can have to a house....but when 2 of your babies came home to it, crawled for the first time there, took their first steps there....memories!

Here they are playing in the sprinkler at Tracy's! Thanks again 1000x babe! Love ya!




Isn't she just gorgeous!?

Needed to take a step back...

and just remember why it is that I love this job and what I do. These beautiful babies right here are why...

So I borrowed a lens I have been drooling over forever and took them out to this huge field...and we sweat to death, but it was worth it! (they look washed out on here, but they are vibrant!)






Some more today...

More prayers please.

It is with a heavy heart I write this post. My dear friend Angie's father lost his battle with lung cancer on Friday. I had the honor and pleasure of photographing him with his grandchildren a few years back (minus a few new additions), and I will post those in the morning. I'm having a hard time writing this post, so here is his obituary sent from Angie. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

Richard Neil Jackson, "Rick", 60, died at his home surrounded by family in
Athens, AL on Friday, May 18, 2007 after a courageous battle with cancer.
He retired after a 35-year career in the nuclear industry and was a
decorated veteran of the U.S. Army during Vietnam. During his life, he was
a resident of Taylorville and Erie, IL, Zachary, LA, Russellville, AR, and
Athens, AL. He enjoyed time with family, fishing, gardening, and Nascar.
He is survived by his loving wife of 12 years, Dixie Jackson; brother,
Bill Jackson of Columbia, MO; son and daughter-in-law, Rick and Beth
Jackson of Henderson, NV; daughter and son-in-law, Keri and Chad Parker of
Zachary, LA; daughter and son-in-law Angie and Ryan Dick of Slidell, LA;
stepson and girlfriend, Jason Miller and Mandy Goldman of Houston, TX; and
a special niece, Teresa Wright of Taylorville, IL. He was known as "Pops"
to his 8 grandchildren, Féde Smith, Bradley and Ella Jackson, Austin and
Nicholas Parker, Delaney, Madelyn, and Sophia Dick. He was preceded in
death by his loving wife of 25 years, Jeannie Teter Jackson; father, Cecil
Jackson; mother, Hazel Helfer; brother, Dale Jackson; and sister, Kay
Jackson. A visitation honoring his life will be held at Charlet Funeral
Home in Zachary, LA on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 at 12:00 pm until memorial
service at 2:00 pm officiated by Ron Thompson. Graveside
services and military rites will immediately follow at Azalea Rest
Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Bill Jackson, Carroll Law, Rick Jackson,
Chad Parker, Ryan Dick, and Jason Miller. In lieu of flowers, memorial
donations may be made in his name to American Cancer Society and the
Hospice of Limestone County in Athens, AL. He loved life, friends and
family, and will be sadly missed by those who knew him.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

GoRgEoUs!!!!!!!!

Why can't the weather be like this ALL the time?!? It's BEAUTIFUL today!! (oh wait...it CAN...IN SAN DIEGO!!!!)

He did it again!!

If you know me AT ALL....you know I LOOOOOOOOVE me this man!! He won his THIRD consecutive ACM Entertainer of the Year Award! WHOO HOO!!



The acceptance speech (can you believe I can't find a pic from this year?)
"When I first started playing music, I was in college, and I would go rent all my equipment and put it in the back of a pickup truck. The only thing I wanted to do was to cut a record as good as Keith Whitley did. I listened to that music over and over again. And then I moved to Nashville and several years later, I got to go out on the road for a couple of years with my friend and hero, George Strait. ... I saw what it was like to really connect with an audience for the first time. I want to thank him for that. ... My family back home, my band and crew, the fans, radio, everybody ... God bless y’all." -- Kenny Chesney

If you pray...

your prayers are needed. If you don't pray, please send some positive thoughts.

One of my past wedding clients, and a couple that is very special to me has had some devastating news in their family recently. The bride's niece has been diagnosed with a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. It's a rare form of brain tumor. This type of tumor is located in the brain stem, at the base of the brain. It is diagnosed primarily in children and is the rarest and worst of pediatric brain tumors. There are approximately 150 to 200 kids diagnosed each year and survival time is typically 9 to 12 months following diagnosis.

Here is a link to her story (http://www.smilesforsophie.com/) and here is a link to a foundation designed for awareness and information. (www.prayersfrommaria.org)

It absolutely breaks my heart. Please lift beautiful Sophie and her family up in your prayers.

Thank you!
Gina

Here she is at the wedding 2 years ago (not at all interested in my camera! LOL).



And some recent ones sent to me from Sarah.


Some other people who are VERY VERY dear to me also could use your prayers.

Angie's dad is losing his battle with cancer, please lift them up.

Hunter will begin her radiation chemo soon and Katie and family (and friends) are praying that this time Hunter will stay cancer free and kick this Leukemia's butt!!

Thank you!

The kid's swimming!

Here's video of Faith taking her first swim without the life jacket in Oma & Opa's pool! She was SOO very proud of herself!! Enjoy!



Chandler jumping in to me!



A few photos as well of the rest of the crew!

These are a few....

...of my favorite things! If you haven't had the privilege of meeting my Oma & Opa, you're really missing out! They are awesome! There are only 4 other people that top them on my list of "favorite people" and 3 of them live here with me. The last one knows he's my #1! :) I am their first grandchild, and my children are their 1st 3 GREAT-grandchildren. My kids adore them, as they should, and likewise. Chandler LOOOVES his Opa...and when he's around...it's "mommy who?!". :) It's awesome to see them all together!

Oma and Opa celebrated 50 Years of marriage this year! Isn't that AMAZINGLY AWESOME?!?! Justin and I have a joke that we're only obligated to each other for 50...then we're free to go! LOL 42 more years baby!

Congratulations Oma & Opa!! I hope that all the things that you have taught me in my life carry over to my marriage and family. I love you!!

Home school here we come!

Got your attention didn't I?!? LOL Yes....I am taking the plunge! I have come to the conclusion that I am going to home school the kids. I'll take it one year at a time, but Faith is going to start her PreK this month. There were numerous reasons that led me to this decision, but the two main ones are....I can't afford to send Faith to school here, it's INSANELY expensive, and the other....I MISS FALYN!! She's gone by 815a in the morning and home around 415p...and in bed by 830p. So, I get maybe 5 hours a day with her....MAYBE! I HATE it! She comes home starving b/c they eat lunch around 11a, and no snacks or drinks until she gets here. SUX!

I've been doing my research for a while now, and have chosen the curriculum we will be using. (www.calvertschool.org) I thought about it a LOT when Falyn was in K and having to deal with her HORRIBLE teacher, but the start of this year made me feel better...and we've been very fortunate to have AWESOME teachers this year!! However, I have had long talks with the both of them, and they are both very excited about "mommy being their teacher". I didn't "tell" Falyn, so much as I asked her what she thought about it, and after about 2 weeks she's told me she wants to do it! I've looked into home school co-ops in the area, and groups. We will be joining the YMCA and taking gymnastics and swim lessons this summer. I guess the best part about it...I don't have to worry about changing Falyn's school smack in the middle of the year again next year. I also like the idea of being "free" to do what we want, when and how we want. If I want to pack up and take a road trip, we can and don't have to worry about being absent! We just take school with us!! I know...KNOW that it will be work and I'm sure that we will have our challenges....but my sister said it best, it's a commitment, just like a marriage...it's not always going to be easy, but you commit yourself to it, and it works.

So....that's my bombshell for the day! Karen, I know you think I am crazy, but I'll figure it out. I always do huh? LOL

XOXO

Random Photos of the kiddos!

Enjoy!

Such a big helper!!



Decorating eggs with Nana!




Happy Easter Egg Hunting at Oma & Opa's!





Applesauce makes a good hat right?? LOL

Happy Birthday....

to ME! 29 and holding! Have a great Friday all!!

Computer Issues!! Ugh!!

Ok, if this hasn't convinced me to look further into an iMac, I don't know what will. I bought this computer in July of last year, and while working on an album for a client, it decided to slow down HORRIBLY....so, I shut it down and went to bed. Now....it's dead. Luckily, it's still under warranty, so hopefully, I can get it back up and running soon...but MAN...I am so over the issues I have had with PCs over the last 4 years. Thankfully my laptop (even it is a piece) let's me surf the internet.

Apple here I come!!! (just as soon as I get all my Photoshop files off the PC!)

Bluebonnets

Here's my beautiful babies in the bluebonnets~