Central Texas Night Lights

I've been playing around with some night shots. This was one that I took last night, looking towards Fort Hood.

Archer Lee

We Have A New Addition To Our Little Family!!

I took the pictures and made the announcements myself. I love the way they turned out!

Strawberry Surprise!

I was sitting in the back yard, snapping pictures of my kids, when this little moment unfolded before me. My sweet little boy, who happens to LOVE strawberries, unsuspectingly bit into his yummy treat. The look that appeared on his face was absolutely hilarious! I am more than thrilled to say that I was able to catch this all on camera. So here you go... His funny moment with a strawberry!

Colorado Bend State Park

We recently took our kids on quite an amazing nature walk. I have to admit though, I had no idea what we were in for. We looked at the map, which said it was a little over a mile in. Smugly I thought... that's not so bad. Little did I know, it would take us around 4 hours to make the walk both ways. Although, it took me a couple days to recover, it was well worth it!
We started our venture at the top of the trail, where there are restrooms and a picnic table. We brought fried chicken, rolls, veggies, chips, and drinks. After eating our yummy meal, we put everything up and headed towards the trail.
The trail starts out flat and smooth. Maybe a couple of small hills.... but it is so deceiving. Our boys, ages 4 and 2, eagerly walked . They stopped to look at every flower, rock, and bug along the way. We went up and down a couple of hills and then the trail started to get a little rockier... then a little steeper... and before we knew it, we were hiking.
The last part of the trail is the steepest. There are metal poles driven into the rock, with heavy wire looped through it, for you to hold on to. It was much to steep to let the boys walk down, so James carried them down.
You can hear the water as your making your way down but can't see the falls until you're at the bottom and let me tell you..... It IS breathtaking. At that point, there is absolutely no doubt that the trail holds a treasure at the end. It is simply amazing!
This was such a great little nature walk/hike. I'm so happy that we had the chance to experience it, together.
In case you're wondering, Yes... the hike back was the hard part. Mostly up hill and slow moving but keep in mind that I'm nearly 8 months pregnant. The kids walked the trail both ways... with the exception of the last part. So, if you're ever in Central Texas, don't miss out on this amazing little walk!

One Of My Favorites

I love the short winters here in Central Texas! More importantly, my kids enjoy the fact that they can spend most of their days playing in the backyard.
I snapped this picture of Mason, yesterday. I love how his head and body are distorted, putting the focus on his big brown eyes! They are so full of expression and life. So yes, this is one of my favorite pictures!

7 Months... And Counting!

I took this today using my tripod and timer. It didn't turn out at all like I had visioned but maybe that's because I am a photographer and not a model.
This is my self portrait, at 7 months. It's been a pretty "normal" pregnancy. He's pretty mellow as long as I'm up and moving around but the second I sit down, he starts to kick up a storm! I think this little guy is definitely going to have to be rocked to sleep!
I'm counting the days.... can't wait to meet him!

Today I Fell In Love, With A Building

You almost feel as though you've stepped back in time, as you stand in her shadow.

Peek through a broken window, you'll see something like this.

I love how the stone has aged, showing the texture of each block.

You can't help but think about what she was like in her glory days.

The Keystone Hotel, 1870. Famous early-day stagecoach inn of J. L. N. Gracy.
Windows have keystone arches. Native rock was hauled to the site by oxen.
In the rear was a grave of a boy killed by Indians.

She's Growing Up!

I look up at my little girl.. yes up. It's hard to believe that at the age of 13, she's already taller than me. I forget quite often that she's not a little girl anymore. I forget that she's capable of doing things for herself, which annoys her terribly! She never fails to amaze me. I'm stunned to see how generous she is, lord knows she didn't get that from me. Although she is very beautiful, she has an even grander personality. I look up at her today and see one of the most amazing young women I've ever met.

She thought it would be fun to dress up as a "Real Texan" for these pictures. Lol I love her creativity!

My sweet daughter,
I hope you know that... you ALWAYS have, and ALWAYS will be, my sunshine. I love you!

6 Months And Counting

So here we are, waiting for our 3rd little boy! I can't believe how fast the past 6 months have gone by! We have another sonogram scheduled for tomorrow. I'm so excited to see how much our little guy has grown! I feel like most of my growing has been in my rear end and thighs. I just don't think my belly has gotten as big as I remember with the others. I guess we'll see though, there's still a few months to go. The boys were 8lbs 14oz and 9lbs 4oz, so I'm guessing that this one will be somewhere around there too??

Busy Busy Busy

So it's been a while and we've been busy busy busy! It looks like spring is finally here, in Texas. So we've been taking advantage of the nice weather! Naturally we've been grilling and playing outside with the kids but we've also started some projects! Yay! I say this with enthusiasm because most outdoor projects involve my husband sweating and not me!
Yesterday, James started laying the brick for one of our flower beds. Our 4 year old was absolutely thrilled that this was a project he could help with. It was so fun to watch the father-son duo work together. They made such a great team! Too bad our youngest was taking a nap, I'm sure he would have loved to help too!
Speaking of another little helper, we have news! We are expecting another little boy in June. Yes, we are pregnant! 2010 is looking like a great year for us.