My First Real Photo Shoot.

Well, sorta real.  If it's your daughter and her friend, it counts, right?  It does to me.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  I'm so so so lucky to be goofing around in photography in this digital age rather than years and years ago.

Also a repeat statement: I have SO much to learn.

The girls and I had so much fun pretending that I'm a better photographer than I am.

These two are peas in a pod, and have been since day one.

(Those spell LOVE in case you couldn't see it.)

They are the perfect models for me to practice on.

They make it so easy to take fun pictures.

All they do when they are together is giggle.

I don't understand half of what they are talking about because they are usually giggling too hard to make out words so any normal human can figure out what they are.

They are growing up together.

They are so lucky to have each other.

I love watching them grow up together.

Don't take a day for granted, girls.  I love you both, very much.  Thank you for being such perfect models.  Let's do it again soon!

XOXOX

NH

Stuff that makes me happy.

Someone said something mean to me this morning.  It was someone I don't know, who had no business saying what he did to me, and it shouldn't mean anything at all to me, but it did.  And it hurt my feelings.

Just like that, he was gone and I will probably never see him again, but I keep hearing his words over and over in my head.  Dumb, I know.  I never did have very thick skin.

So I decided that it was time to do something to get those dumb thoughts out of my head.  Time to blog some stuff that makes me happy!

Mom and Morgan picking strawberries together.  This was a very happy day.  We went home and made lots and lots of strawberry jam.

Andrew dressed as Captain Jack.  This is the funniest kid I've ever met.  His older brother has played hockey and baseball with Andy.  I've seen this kid come to games dressed up as Brett Farvre, Indiana Jones, and the Incredible Hulk.  I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.  I can't stop laughing around this kid.  He does my mood good.

Morgan's choice of colors for a fresh pedi, and a cool design they added just for fun.

Dinner and a play with my favorite girl in the whole world.

Sometimes a glass of wine at home on the couch while watching TV with the kids is exactly what I need.  

Ok, no.  Gross spiders don't make me happy, but the fact that I took this picture, and it captures some interest is really, really cool to me.  Kinda makes you wonder how I got it, huh?

Fresh veggies from my CSA box prepped and ready to go on the grill.  I don't get to eat beets enough.  They are soooo tasty.

When this happens naturally in my hair.  It's not too often that it's a perfect little ringlet like that, and there's a reason that my hand is strategically covering the rest of my rat's nest of a hair do, but dang.  This one made me happy that day.

Getting cool pictures of Army planes as they fly over...

Baseball teams winning first place in the city championship game (and free popcicles handed out afterwards!)

Birthday martinis...

This kid.  All the time.

Celebratory post-chemo lunch with lots of family (and some friendly ladies sitting beyond our table who pretended to be part of the family for a few minutes)...

12,000 pageviews on my blog (how cool is THAT?!?!)

Pretty sunsets.

Birthday presents from sissy that make my coffee taste even better!

I'm not exactly thrilled about this, but I knew it was coming.  I'm finally ok with admitting that he has passed me up!

Making wishes on Chinese lanterns with a bright moon and more stars out than I can count.

And feet up on the fire pit, with flip flop tan lines.  (plus I had shaved my legs like 2 hours before this and they were soooooo smooth!  Sorry for more info than you needed, but it made me very very happy.)

There.  I feel much better now.  Do you?

XOXOX

NH

The Annual Softball Tourney

I'm about to overload you with photos.  Are you ready?

 

 

Since I'm continuing to blog much longer than I ever expected, I realize that there are SO many annual events that we take part in.

 

Sometimes it seems silly to write up another post on the annual softball tournament.

 

But then, I remember that I'm not just blogging to tell you what I did last weekend.

 

I'm documenting my family and how those people that are closest to me are changing right before my eyes.

 

I'm improving my photograpy skills every time I pick up my camera.

 

And I think it's pretty cool that I can keep a place online and share my story with everyone.

 

I have a pretty cool family (including the one I was so lucky to marry into).

 

We like to do lots of fun things together.

 

Every single year.

 

Where else could I document the guys wearing tutus and tube tops when they cause the last out of the inning?

 

Or how happy popcorn could make a kid?

 

 

 

The phones were ignored when we got to the Wendt farm.

 

You see, there was just too much to do.

 

Two boys and a dog...

 

 

who really, really liked to search the corn field for the duck dummy thingy.

 

Cousins drinking beer...

 

and a red-neck hay bale bonfire.

 

This photo cracked.  me.  up.  You should see the outtakes.  Trying to keep these two from smirking was not an easy task!

 

 

Never too old, right?

 

Wheeeee!

 

 

Ahh, if only there was a trampoline on stage when trying a firebird in front of an audience, right Morgs?

 

Inch wormies and adorable cousins deserve a shout out on the blog, no?

 

Love.

 

Yeah, good thing the tournament is almost over.  The tutu got a little stretched out.

 

Ohhhh look who showed up!

 

I swear.  See how blessed I am to have all of this in my life?

 

We got to have a very funny conversation together.

 

 

Moments like this need to be documented and shared.

 

Because next year, they will look totally different.

 

I can try to preserve this image in my mind, but it's nice to have it here, too.

 

Ahhhhh, this one kills me.  Just hangin together.  LOVE this.

 

 And then it was time to go, and it made everyone grouchy.  (but still so stinkin' cute)

 

Don't be too grouchy, Brynn.  We will see you again soon!

 

I love me some Hooper family time!!

 

XOXOX

NH